Your Sins Are Forgiven You

Epiphany 7

Mark 2:1-12

1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

My dear fellow redeemed in Christ. In last week's sermon Jesus healed a leper and the word got out, Jesus could no longer publicly enter the city. So His ministry was forced into the wilderness area and yet people came from all over. This week we see Jesus returning home. But now His home is in Capernaum not Nazareth. Our text literally reads: "And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home." (2:1 NAS) Jesus was home with His mother and other relatives. But again, word got out and the people now know where Jesus is. His house is jam-packed, that there isn't even room to get close to the doorway. All these people hoping to hear or be healed.

Take a typical day at work. 8, 10 or 12 hours of sweat producing, thought provoking effort and all you want to do is get home to your love ones and sit down and relax. Or what about your loved ones? Imagine for a moment bringing 12 close friends home with you and multitude of people show up at your door unwilling to leave. You as the spouse or child are dealing with strangers filling every room of your house. I hope that gives you some idea of what Mary and Jesus' relatives were facing. Yet we don't hear of their reactions. Possibly they expected the unexpected. Instead the focus is on someone else.

Four men hear the news about Jesus and come to the house. They're there because they believe what they've heard about Him, about the miracles that He performs. If they didn't why would they be carrying a paralyzed friend to Him.

The four men have brought their friend, but there's no way in. It's like being too late to the ticket counter for concert tickets; if you snooze you loose, no getting in. The house is full, and that's that. Close, but not close enough: Time to pack up and head home - but not for these men. It's as if they had already read Romans 5 before it was even written. Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

They had perseverance they wouldn't give up. They had come seeking to help a friend who couldn't help himself. They want their friend in Jesus' presence, close enough to hear and be benefited. The door isn't going to work -- but the roof might. Many healthy and able-bodied adults today skip being in the Lord's presence because of minute obstacles; maybe a little snow on the ground, a little ice on the road, or maybe that bed just feels so nice and warm. But for these four there were no obstacles only challenges.

They head to the roof. Let me tell a little bit about housing construction in Jesus day. The walls were made of thick clay block or stone and most houses had only one room. At the top of the walls were crossbeams for the roof. Small branches from trees were arranged crosswise over the large roof beams, then a layer of rushes or straw over the branches. Now comes the tough part. The builders would shovel wet clay over the top of the straw and trample it solid. More branches and straw would then be added to the top of the wet clay continuously crisscrossing the previous set of branches this process would be repeated until the roof was no less than a foot thick. The roof would be allowed to dry and then a finishing layer of clay no less than 2 inches was applied. This clay would bake in the sun and become extremely hard. But to hold up to the rain many owners would then glaze the roof. Cover it with sap and oil from the trees and light it on fire. The roof literally was fired like pottery. That type of roof was hard and thick, much like ceramic tile today. It was hard work. Anyone that has done work with cement knows how much effort goes into hand mixing and toweling to do the job right. Add to that climbing the stairs while carrying with the mix and you realize the painstaking process roofing as it was in Jesus day.

Our Scripture tells us that these men "when they could not come near Him because of the crowd was so great, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through." In the Greek it says literally, they dug it up. All this clay, and wood, and clay and wood this was hard work. But these men knew if they could get their friend into Jesus presence he would be healed. So these men dug up the roof of Jesus house.

I don't know about you -- but I would have been furious with these men for destroying my roof. But how does Jesus respond? The Scripture says the men "let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." With so many present to hear His Word; He utters the words clearly and distinctly, for all to hear, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

For the one healed the Word of Jesus is comforting and true. It verifies Who the giver is, God Himself. We see further proof of this thinking as testified by the scribes. "Some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" You see, the scribes got it half right, only God can forgive sins. But they don't see the other half of the equation, who Jesus is.

The distinguished 19th century poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson has a quotation that deals with this type of logic and reasoning he says: "That lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies; That lie which is all a lie may be met and fought with outright."

The scribes have understood what has happened. The scribes might even feel hurt and deeply offended as they mutter these things. But their problem is a simple one, unbelief. If Jesus is God, then He has the authority to forgive sins. But they don't believe Jesus is God. That's why these words offend them. In other words, they are shocked by the idea that God is present and that He's there to forgive their sins. Today we see that same that same problem in people when dealing with God's presence. To them the Gospel is a stumbling block; they say the Lord isn't present in Holy Absolution, in Baptism or in The Lord's Supper. They are wrong. They suffer from the same plight that the scribes did.

Jesus can forgive sins because He has the authority to do so. He has worked out the salvation of the world. Because of His Incarnation and the punishment he took in our place, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Where we might be bitter and angry with those that cause us pain He says: "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Thus the paralytic had what each and every person in this world needs - the forgiveness of sins. To be right with God, that that paralytic truly didn't need anything else. Eternal life and salvation is now his. Indeed, there are thousands of people today who, though plagued with paralysis, disease, ailment or pain, suffering and slow death are right with God through the forgiveness of all their sins. For eternal life and salvation they don't need to be healed of their various and many physical conditions.

Notice what happens next. "But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"" He was healed and one may wonder why he was healed that day and others aren't today. The Bible gives us the reason, though our sinful nature may resist it.

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Notice that Jesus forgave the man without healing him. Then He healed the man, not for the sake of the paralytic, but on account of the others, especially those unbelieving, the scribes. The faithful hear the Word and trust in Him Who takes away sin. The unbeliever must see the deed and have the basis of their unbelief be taken away. For the miracle does not create faith, on the contrary it simply silences a particular argument. This sign was that the scribes might know that Jesus has the authority to unbind and loose sin from an individual by His Word of forgiveness; an action that they themselves attribute only to God. They look but don't see, they listen but don't hear. For only with faith can one understand. They don't go to the next step of understanding of whom Jesus truly is; God Himself made flesh. The four on the roof understood, "Get the needy into the presence of God." The needy today still need to be in God's presence.

Today you too, as one of the needy have heard His word, "All your sins are forgiven you!" And you too are in the presence of God. For Jesus is here now, through the Word of Holy Absolution, in His Word spoken in the Sermon today, and truly, locally present in the Holy Supper of communion. Jesus is speaking to you, and He is saying: "All your sins are forgiven." You have received the most important healing ever; spiritual healing that leads to life eternal, for you are forgiven in Jesus name, and in Jesus name, Amen!

The Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. - Amen