Jesus, Four Friends and a Paralyzed Man (A Reflection on Mark 2:1-12) |
| Jesus, Four Friends and a Paralyzed Man (A Reflection on Mark 2:1-12) Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:40 AM PDT "Jesus was preaching the message to them when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. Because the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat" (Mark 2:2-4, GNB). This is a famous story about four men brought a friend to Jesus. What is so touching about this scene is that they were so keen that they climbed onto the roof of the house, made an opening, and tried very hard lowered a mat bearing a friend who lay motionless to Jesus. The man was hurting from emotional and physical suffering, incapable of movement ("paralyzed"), making him utterly dependent upon the help of family and friends. Imagine how the man felt at that moment. Obviously, the man needs healing from Jesus.  The four friends, we read, really believed that Jesus would do something for their friend. This is telling when Jesus "seeing how much faith they had" (Mark 2:5). They have invisible faith. Faith that make a hole in the roof. Faith that cause dust covering the floor where Jesus taught. Faith that shown in their sweat-stained faces when they lowered their friend at the feet of Jesus. Jesus, I observed, always associated faith with doing something, not just sitting still and claiming promises. James put it in the nutshell: "Faith without actions is dead" (James 2:26). To have faith is invincible, to live in the faith is visible. Do you have such a faith? Jesus is unpredictable. He goes beyond the man physical problem. Jesus sees a sinner in need of forgiveness. "Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'My son, your sins are forgiven.'" (Mark 2:5). The people listening were shocked. Could it be that the man suffering was due to his past and presence sins? I highly suspect. Now, we must be careful not to label every sickness, disease and death happened due to some particular sins. But all of these are consequences of our sinful condition that Jesus came to deal with on the cross. Are there any sins that you need to confess that may cause you to suffer today? Jesus knows all about it, so you don't need to hide it. He is ready to say "Your sins are forgiven" if only you would "repent and turn to God" (Acts 3:19). The root cause of the man paralyzed was his sin against God. It is not so much with the symptoms but the core problem – sins. We must confront every sinner with this universal issue. We must preach that God offers the forgiveness of sin by grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ alone (not health, wealth and prosperity gospel!). And so, as God incarnate, Jesus speaks with authority: "'I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!' While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'" (Mark 2:11-12). Yes, most of us never seen anything like that but we have seen (or will see) God done a greater miracle in us when we are forgiven from our sins and have eternal life when we believe in His Son (John 3:16). Amen. THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.   | ||
| Posted: 28 Mar 2014 01:19 AM PDT "A man suffering from a dreaded skin decease came to Jesus, knelt down, and begged him for help, 'If you want to,' he said, 'you can make me clean.' Jesus was filled with pity, and stretched out his hand and touched him. 'I do want to,' he answered. 'Be clean!' At once the disease left the man, and he was clean" (Mark 1:40-42, GNB).
In another translation the man was "a leper" (ESV). Leprosy is "a dreaded skin decease" that makes the people during Jesus' time physically suffers. Not only that, they are considered as social and religious outcast. They are classified as unclean which also includes unwanted, unloved, rejected and mistreated (Do you know? There is a National Leprosy Control Centre (NLCC) built in Sungai Buloh, Selangor). In this story, the man came to Jesus. Kneeling and begging for Jesus' mercy. He doesn't force Jesus to heal him. He simply asked "If you want to" (not like our demanding Jesus-you-must kind of prayer). Was he trying his luck? Was he really having faith in God? I don't know. But I'm sure he was desperate and believes that somehow Jesus was able to heal him. What is Jesus' respond? "Jesus was filled with pity" (Mark 1:41) or "moved with compassion" (NKJV). Jesus probably "was indignant" (NIV) too due to the disease that had so ruined the man's life.  Another shocking respond that I observed here, something that I surely wouldn't have done, is that Jesus "stretched out his hand and TOUCHED him"! Touch the ugly, skin disease leper? People who saw this act of compassion would have been (more) shocked to see Jesus touch the man. I think, the man himself also shocked because for so long nobody dare to touch him like Jesus do. The Man of God touched the unclean. The Son of God "became a human being" and "lived among us" (John 1:14) and touch our lives. I don't know about you, but I really desperate for this kind of God, God who is not only sovereign and powerful, but personal and keep-in-touch. Lord, and yet Friend. Master and also Brother. God who loves us to called Him Father. Jesus is what the world need today! Now if you had experienced such compassion and love in your own lives, you wouldn't be surprise to read that: "the man went away and began to spread the news everywhere" (Mark 1:45). Of course he will do… How about you? THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. |
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