When Grace Descends
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Mark 2.1-12
When Grace Descends
Week #23
 03.08.2015 – First UMC St. Cloud
Note from Pastor Mike: I want to encourage our church family to look
deeper into what God speaks to us through the Message.
Here at First United Methodist Church of Saint Cloud we believe that
God speaks to us through the Message. One way for all of us to hear
from God more clearly is to read the Scripture verses and the
Message again during the week.
I would really like to hear your comments and how God is challenging
you through the worship service and the Message. It would be great
to hear your discussion ideas. Please feel free to send me your
discussion points.
Your friend on the journey,
Pastor Mike
NIV) Mark 2.1-12 – 1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the
people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers
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 paralyzed man, 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 by digging through it and then
lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to
the paralyzed man, “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?”
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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 this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up,
take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 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!”
Introduction: When Grace Descends
In our text from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 verses 1-12, The “Big Idea” –
Jesus offers forgiveness as the genesis of God's image being restored in our
lives; forgiveness is the beginning of wholeness.
Bill Moyers' documentary film on the hymn "Amazing
Grace" includes a scene filmed in Wembley Stadium
in London. Various musical groups, mostly rock bands,
had gathered together in celebration of the changes
in South Africa, and for some reason the promoters
scheduled an opera singer, Jessye Norman, as the
closing act.
The film cuts back and forth between scenes of the unruly crowd in the stadium
and Jessye Norman being interviewed. For twelve hours groups like Guns 'n
Roses have blasted the crowd through banks of speakers, riling up fans already
high on booze and dope. The crowd yells for more curtain calls, and the rock
groups oblige. Meanwhile, Jessye Norman sits in her dressing room discussing
"Amazing Grace" with Moyers.
Finally, the time comes for her to sing. A single circle of light follows Norman, a
majestic African-American woman wearing a flowing African dashiki, as she
strolls on stage. No backup band, no musical instruments, just Jessye. The crowd
stirs, restless. Few recognize the opera diva. A voice yells for more Guns 'n Roses.
Others take up the cry. The scene is getting ugly.
Alone, a cappella, Jessye Norman begins to sing, very slowly: Amazing grace,
how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am
found -- Was blind, but now I see.
A remarkable thing happens in Wembley Stadium that night. Seventy- thousand
raucous fans fall silent before her melody of grace.
By the time Norman reaches the second verse, "'Twas grace that taught my
heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved ...," the soprano has the crowd in her
hands.
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By the time she reaches the third verse, "'Tis grace has brought me safe this far,
And grace will lead me home," several thousand fans are singing along, digging
far back in nearly lost memories for words they heard long ago.
"When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun We've no
less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun. "
Jessye Norman later confessed she had no idea what power descended on
Wembley Stadium that night. I think I know. The world thirsts for grace. When
grace descends, the world falls silent before it. [Originally from Phillip Yancy's
"What's So Amazing about Grace?"]
A. Vivid Description
So, to begin with, in our text from Mark 2.1-12, Mark, the most likely name of the
mostly anonymous writer of this Gospel, offers us a very vivid description of
Jesus' encounter with the paralyzed man which I think is significant in not only
understanding this text but also experiencing the purpose of this text.
1. In the village of Capernaum, we are in a very small home, possibly only one
or two rooms overflowing with people. This crowd spills out the front door and
into the street. People pushing up against us as we lean into those in front of
us, trying to move as close as we can to Jesus. You and I feel people's breath
on our face. We smell sweat and taste the dust from the road outside.
2. Then holding our breath, we listen. Jesus is speaking "the word". Here we think
about the Greek word logos (λόγος), “the word”, igniting in our mind's eye the
"word of God" in the Book of Genesis; the "word of God" that hovered over
the water, bringing forth the Creation and life out of nothing. (Most likely from
what we have read of Mark's Gospel so far, Jesus is expanding on the words
of Mark 1.14-15 − 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The
kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”). "Yes,"
we say under our breath, "the Kingdom of God or better yet the renewed
Kingdom of Israel over the hated Roman Empire and all the unbelievers has
come. Yes, repentance, sure, 'We're sorry for our sins.' Now, do something
amazing so we will believe you are the Messiah."
3. The healings, this is why we came. When Jesus was last here in Capernaum,
on the Sabbath after he taught all the people in the synagogue, Jesus cast a
demon out of a man. Mark 1.27-28 − 27 The people were all so amazed that
they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He
even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him
spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. At Simon Peter's house we
heard that Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law who was bed ridden with a
fever. Later that evening, Jesus healed more who were sick and also cast
demons out of people (Mark 1.32-34) Then, Mark 1.40 − 40 A man with leprosy
came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make
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me clean.” Jesus seemed to get angry at the leprosy and had pity on the
man and healed him (Mark 1.40-42). We have come to see more healing.
Maybe you have come to see if Jesus will heal you.
4. Then the most unusual thing take place. There is a cracking sound from
above. Pieces of the hardened and thatch roof come crashing down on the
floor right next to Jesus. As Jesus looks up, you and I can see four men
lowering a local man who is paralyzed down through the hole in the roof!
Then, something even stranger and more unanticipated occurs. Just when
we are ready to hear Jesus proclaim that this man is healed, Jesus looks up at
the man's friends Mark 2.5 – 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Your sins are forgiven? Not
what we expected or even close to why we came to see Jesus. Certainly not
what the man's friends on the roof expected. This twist on expectation shocks
us into seeing forgiveness as central to the work of Jesus.
B. What Jesus Is Up To
As we continue to move through our text, the conflict between Jesus and the
Scribes forces you and me to make a decision about what Jesus is up to in our
world.
1. Like that moment at Wembley Stadium as Jessye Norman belts out (if it's
proper to say that opera singers "belt out" anything) "Amazing Grace", you
can imagine that the whole room is quiet. Whether they know it or not, God is
present offering what only God can offer - forgiveness. WE came for physical
healing or at least to see Jesus perform a miracle yet these words, "your sins
are forgiven," speak so powerfully to another need inside us that is so deep
and weighty.
2. Jesus turns the miracles on their head. Forgiveness is more necessary than
healing. Then, you see the Jewish religious leaders, the Scribes, getting all
agitated. Jesus, who seems to know exactly what is in their hearts, confronts
them to explain they are Mark 2.5 – 6 ....sitting there, thinking to themselves,
7 “Why does this fellow (that is Jesus) talk like that? He’s blaspheming
(disrespecting God - very bad)! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” You
can understand their anger. Yes, only God can forgive sins so Jesus is either a
pretender to be God or Jesus is God with us offering forgiveness. For the
Scribes, if Jesus is God and if Jesus can forgive sins then their power is
threatened. You see, the Scribes from the Temple were the ones who
decided exactly how God forgives sins and who is forgiven. Jesus is disrupting
and reworking how you and I might understand God and forgiveness. In fact,
Jesus seems to be throwing forgiveness out with reckless abandon.
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3. Jesus speaks again, causing us to think deeply about healing and
forgiveness, forcing you and me to make a decision about what Jesus is up
to in our world. Jesus says to the Scribes and the crowd, Mark 2.8-11 –
8 ....“Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this
paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and
walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and
go home.” In other words, Jesus proclaims, "To show you I have the power of
God to forgive sins, I will heal this man of his physical illness." Through no fault
of his own, really, on no account of his own, Jesus offers the paralyzed man
forgiveness and shows his authority to do this in healing the man from being
paralyzed. What seems like effortless words, though, will be proved to be
costly words when Jesus is crucified.
C. Without Forgiveness
So, Jesus’ words make it clear, there is no healing of our lives and of this world
marred so deeply by sin and evil and death without forgiveness from God.
1. This account is the last in a series of five healing stories in Mark and the first of
five controversies where Jesus pronounces some truth about who he is. This is
the hinge between two sections that helps us interpret what these words say
to us about Jesus. Forgiveness opens up for us life in the under God's Rule or
in God's Kingdom. Not when we die or when is all comes to an end but life in
the Kingdom here among us NOW! There is no healing of our lives and of this
world marred so deeply by sin and evil and death without forgiveness from
God. Jesus is the only one, the only person, able to offer us that forgiveness
we so badly need.
2. That still leaves us with how to comprehend the healing miracles. What are
we to perceive in Jesus healing some who are sick but not all who are sick?
How do we wrap our understanding around Jesus casting demons out of
some who are tormented but all who are so tormented? I think we find
direction in Jesus' word to the scribes, Mark 2.8 – 8 ....“Why are you thinking
these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are
forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? The healings serve two
purposes:
a. To begin with, they show that Jesus has the power over the sickness and
diseases, possession by evil spirits and the physical illness that have
become part of our lives because of sin. Not necessarily a person's
specific sins but the whole presence of sin in our world. Jesus has power
over sin.
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b. As important, the healings signal or point out to us that when the Kingdom
of God comes, there will be new life both for us physically as well as in our
relationship with God and with each other. The healing stories are also
very true to the nature of our current life in this world. Some not all.
Forgiveness is the beginning of the spiritual and physical healing here-andnow but the complete healing we all require, actually the resurrection of
our bodies into eternal life, will not be fully seen until Jesus returns. This is
the hope we live in, more importantly, the hope we show the world in our
lives.
3. For you and me, paralyzed as we are in the grips of sin and separated as we
are from God, Jesus offers forgiveness as the genesis of God's image being
restored in our lives; forgiveness is the beginning of wholeness. In his words,
that "your sins are forgiven," we are transformed.
D. The Same Reckless Abandon
This transformation makes it clear that people who have been forgiven will be
people who offer forgiveness with the same reckless abandon in which Jesus
forgave the paralyses man.
1. Forgiveness changes us. Eternal life is not the target of forgiveness but life in
the Kingdom of God NOW that is the target of forgiveness where abundant
and eternal life is the natural outcome of being forgiven by God. The whole
biblical account, what we have read in The Story, is not about some belief
now that gets us into heaven later but an account of God restoring God's
relationship with humanity in real time and in real places. At stake in every
chapter is whether or not humanity will be transformed by God or alienate
themselves from God (mostly by worshiping other Gods). Ultimately, God the
Father must act to restores this relationship with humanity and empower us to
be transformed through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus the
Christ and the ongoing power of God the Holy Spirit.
2. Remember the "crowd" who came for the miracles. (Listen don't judge them
to harshly. I'd go see a man who might be able to cure paralysis and heal
deathly illnesses.) The crowd are "fans" of Jesus. They ask, “What can you do
for us today and will it be more exciting than yesterday?” Forgiveness,
though, opens up the life, not the life of a "fan", but the life of a "follower". The
paralyzed man must now not only learn how to walk with his legs and move
his arms to touch the world around him, this man, this human, must also learn
how to live as a person who has been forgiven by God. If this purpose of this
text is to tell us that God in Jesus offers us forgiveness of our sins then the
paralyzed man who Mark 2.12 – 12 ....got up, took his mat and walked out in
full view of them all directs us to get up and walk out as people who have
been forgiven.
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3. The text does not tell us how to do this. Yet, it is so clear that people who
have been forgiven, who are now living in full view of the Kingdom of God
that exists right here and now because of Jesus, will be people who offer
forgiveness with the same reckless abandon in which Jesus forgave the
paralysed man. This Gospel of Mark is one of action. Jesus comes into public
life, into a world ruined by sin and evil, Mark 1.14-15 − 14 ....proclaiming the
good news of God. 15 “The time has come,.... The kingdom of God has come
near. Repent and believe the good news!” In this church, in our life together
as believers in Jesus the Messiah, the Kingdom of God has indeed come
near! Unlike the Scribes who want to keep people as far from God's
forgiveness as possible and to rule over others for our own gain.
4. Instead, as Henri J.M. Nouwen bluntly puts it, "I have often said, 'I forgive you,'
but even as I have said these words my heart remained angry and resentful. I
still wanted to hear the story that tells me I was right after all; I still wanted to
hear apologies excuses; I still wanted the satisfaction of receiving some
praise in return - if only the praise for being forgiving!' But God's forgiveness is
unconditional; it comes from the heart that does not demand anything. for
itself, a heart that is completely empty of self-seeking. It is this divine
forgiveness that I have to practice in my daily life. It calls me to keep
stepping over all my arguments that say that forgiveness is unwise, unhealthy,
and unpractical. It challenges me to step over all my needs for gratitude and
compliments. Finally, it demands of me that I step over that wounded part of
my heart that feels hurt and wronged and that wants to stay in control and
put a few conditions between me and the one whom I am asked to forgive."
5. When the world, that Jesus so loves and that is so broken, sees this in our lives,
then, in the silence of Wembly Stadium or of a crowded room, Mark 2.12 –
12 ...This amazed everyone and they praised God, and we will hear whispers
saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” All when we get up and
walk out saying,
a. "I'm forgiven because you were forsaken, I'm accepted, you were
condemned. I'm alive and well your Sprite is within me, because you died
and rose again."