Bible Reading:
Mark chapter 2 verses 1 to12.

Delivered from Paralysis

What would you do if there were something you needed urgently and it was something you wanted very much and you heard someone was giving this thing away free? You would contact that person and get whatever it was.

What if you couldn't write a letter and there was no phone? You'd have to go and see them. What if you couldn't walk, had no car and there were no buses or taxis? You'd have to get someone else to take you. What if when you got there the person were already seeing other people, so many people that you couldn't get into the house where the person was? Give up? "That's it then, I can't do any more, I suppose I must go home." Is that what you'd say? You wouldn't get what you wanted if you went away. But what if there seemed no way forward? It depends on how urgently you need what you want.

There was a paralysed man who heard about The Lord Jesus. He believed the truth about The Lord Jesus. He knew The Lord Jesus was the ONLY one who could deliver him from being paralysed He must get to see Him. He'd heard of how The Lord Jesus had already healed others before him and the paralysed man wanted the same for himself.

He got four mates to carry him all the way to where The Lord Jesus was. He was on his bed, one mate lifting each corner. It wasn't a bed like we have, more like a thin mattress that could be rolled up and carried by one person. They went all the way in the hot sun to where The Lord Jesus was in a house packed full of people, a house surrounded by crowds. Getting through a crowd is one thing. In a crowd people can move aside a bit. In a packed house there's nowhere for people to go; house walls don't bend.

Did they give up? The need of their friend was great and all five believed the Lord Jesus was the only one who could help. They went up to the flat roof, set their mate down and began to make a hole in the roof. You can imagine the dust falling down inside as they bashed about above the ceiling. Then, in the middle of The Lord Jesus' teaching a hole appeared in the ceiling and then faces outside, looking in from above. The hole got bigger then a man was let down on a bed in the middle of the room! The people had to move aside or the man would land on them!

What might our reaction be if someone did this in our meeting now? We'd be a bit concerned as we heard the noises. We might be a bit cross at the disturbance and very annoyed if it was our roof. What was The Lord Jesus' reaction?

Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. This was not what the man was expecting. He had only gone there to be healed of his paralysis yet the Lord Jesus was telling him his sins were forgiven. The man did not say anything but many in the congregation thought a lot of things. They accused The Lord Jesus of blasphemy, (blasphemy is defined as impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty or slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another's good name) as he was making himself equal to God by saying this. They all knew it is only God who can forgive sins. This was why they got angry with The Lord Jesus, but they did not say anything.

The Lord Jesus knew what they were thinking; this is because He is God. He was not blaspheming at all. He was not making Himself something He was not. He was not lying. The Lord Jesus is God and He knew their thoughts. The next thing He said must have got them wondering. Mark 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Nobody had said a word but He knew their thoughts. You can sometimes get an idea what a person is feeling by their expression but it is only an indication of what is going on in their minds.

No ordinary person can know exactly what another person is thinking. Mark2: 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? He showed He knew exactly what they were thinking and He asked another question. Well, which is it easier to say? It is easy to say you forgive someone's sins. Nobody can check, even if they do get angry that you said it. It is much more difficult to say to a paralysed man that he should take up his bed and walk. This is something that can be checked. After you have said the words, it is easy to see if the man walks or not.

The Lord Jesus then turned to the man Mark2: 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. The Lord Jesus' power was immediately obvious. Mark 2:12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

The Lord Jesus miracle caused people to praise God. It also showed who He was in that He knew what was in peoples thoughts and He could do mighty things. Outward healing is a picture of forgiveness. Sin here is represented by the disease.

The scribes did not want to believe. They rejected The Lord Jesus and refused to accept Him because of their sinful pride. The paralysed man knew he had a great need that only Jesus could meet. The paralysed man had faith in The Lord Jesus. Where did he get his faith? God gives faith in The Lord Jesus. The scribes envied and hated The Lord Jesus.

Where do people get hard hearts? We are all born with sinful hard hearts that reject The Lord Jesus. The truth is that there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who see their need of forgiveness and peace with God and those who do not. There are those who realise they can do nothing for themselves and that they need someone to deliver them and there are those who do not, such people think they are OK on their own and that they can sort themselves out. There are those who will do all they can to ask the Lord Jesus to deliver them and there are those who do not want anything to do with Him and would just like to get rid of Him forever.

Which of the two groups are you in tonight? Are you trusting The Lord Jesus or rejecting the truth about Him? The paralysed man had more faith in The Lord Jesus than just to heal his paralysis. Genesis 15:6 And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. The paralysed man believed and was forgiven. Therefore, it can be for all who trust The Lord Jesus and keep seeking until they find