FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER 2025 - REV KENNY HANNA
MARK 2 VERSES 1 - 12
All kings of things matter to us. Mark helps us to deep dive into these subjects, he cuts out loads of background details to get us right to Jesus.
Our physical health matters and people can help us to a degree - verses 1 to 4
This paralytic man had 4 fantastic guy. They are the kind of friends we all want. They will be with you in the trenches. They wouldn't let you down. You could trust them with your life. This man's 4 friends knew that mate's physical health mattered, really mattered. Look at the lengths they go to to get their mate to Jesus. They laid him on a mat, carried him to Jesus and when they get to the house find it rammed full of people so carry him up to the flat roof. Then they begin to make a whole racket. Imagine this was your house. It was not a small hole they made but a hole large enough to let this man down into the place where Jesus was standing. Would you want this to happen to your house? This paralysed man's mates did not care about this - verses 1 to 4.
"And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay."
These men couldn't possibly do anything more to help their friend. If I had gone there and the place was full I would not have been making a hole in the roof. People can help us to a degree but amazing though the friends were there is a limit to what they could really do for their friend. They came bringing to Jesus a man, a temporary care. Our physical health matters and people can help us to a degree. That is born out by verse 1 - where did this happen? In Capernaum. Jesus was at home. Capernaum was a prosperous place. It was situated off the main trade route. They were blessed by entrepreneurs. Capable people lived in the district. It was also a thriving fishing district. The land around it was good and fertile. Capernaum was prosperous, had many capable people in the area, was near a sea port. Although the people were rich they couldn't cure this man of his paralysis. They couldn't fix everything. He had wonderful friends, fantastic family but they couldn't fix everything. We know that don't we. Coldplay had a single titled Fix You with the words "I will try to fix you". They knew we can try to fix people but there are some things we cannot fix. We are really blessed to live in Northern Ireland. There is a warmth, a kindness in people. They want to help you. There is no other place in the world better to live. People are kind and want to help you. We are relatively well off. We have wonderful health care facilities so many other countries would love to have and yet despite all of that people cannot fix us and sometimes that includes our health. The physical man matters. Physical health matters to a degree. It makes us realise we need a greater than human help. If even the best human help cannot fix this man and people cannot help with all the wealth they had that makes us realise they needed someone greater.
We need to come to Jesus but our hearts are paralysed - verses 6 to 8
We need to come to Jesus but there is a problem. The problem is us. There is not just one paralysed man in this passage. In verse 6 the scribes are mentioned:
"Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
These men were well versed in the Old Testament and in particular the first 5 books of the bible. People would have listened to them and obeyed them. They would have been called rabbis. They were legal experts, able to instruct someone in all things. They were held in high esteem. When they came into your house you would have stood up. They had hearts as bad as the paralysed man. What is their reaction after Jesus forgives the man's sins? They are indignant as Jesus saying he can forgive this man's sins.
"And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed 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 say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
Some of the scribes were questioning in their hearts if Jesus could heal this man. Jesus is God and knows what they are thinking. It means they cannot come to Jesus and don't want to come to Jesus. They accuse him of blasphemy, the most troubling thing to be accused of. The penalty for blasphemy is death. They had the same attitude at the beginning of Jesus' ministry as at the end of his ministry. Only a few of them came to know Jesus personally. When at the end of his ministry, Jesus goes before the Jewish Sanhedrin in Mark 14 they accused him of blasphemy once more. They condemned him to deserving death. Throughout his 3 years Jesus taught and healed but they refused to believe who he said he was. God's Son forgave sins. Their hearts are paralysed by sin and they remain paralysed themselves. Theologians say they had an inability to come to Jesus because of sin and don't want to come. Our hearts are dead. Paul said that in Ephesians 2 verse 1 "you were dead in trespasses and sin." Our hearts are paralysed to God but spiritually dead. It is not only a picture of you and I but of every human. We were made in God's image. Of all he has made we are the only ones to be made for relationship with God. God has made you for him. We are beautiful inside yet at the same time there is a brokenness to us. A deeper brokenness about us. Although we need to come to Jesus for salvation our hearts are dead to Jesus. We cannot come. We don't even want to come. if you have come tonight and are not following Jesus you don't really want to follow him. All of us are dead to Jesus. Our spiritual health is not great. Our hearts are paralysed to Jesus. They are dead. That is the incredible bad news but if I just stopped there and we sung the final hymn and walked out the door it wouldn't be a great ending. Your story doesn't need to end there. Jesus hasn't left us. He has come to us.
Jesus sees our need and he has come to us - verse 5
He hasn't left us in our brokenness. When you go to gather sheep inevitably you have to go back and forward several times to bring them all in. You will not leave them there. Jesus doesn't leave us there. This man had 4 friends, fantastic friends. I am sure that they knew what their mate's greatest need was - to meet Jesus. Jesus sees he has a greater need. To have his sins forgiven than being physicaly paralysed. He deals with his spiritual sin first. Notice he calls him "Son" - why - because he loves him. Jesus calls him son because he loves him so very much and this man is now his son because he has put his trust in him. He is adopted into God's family. Our health that matters most is our spiritual health. Sins forgiven. Not being in hell but in heaven with Jesus. That is the best news you will ever hear. He has come to us. Jesus heals the man physically. He is a kind of visual aid. To show that he can forgive spiritually. Both are equally easy for Jesus. Verses 9 to 11. This ties in with verse 7 - these religious leaders by accusing Jesus of blasphemy and saying Jesus is the Son of God admit he is the one who can forgiven sin.
Image you were invited to a garden party at Hillsborough Castle. You are introduced to King Charles and have a pleasant conversation. You go out after the day is over to discover your car wouldn't start. That is typical of what might happen. You go back in again and the King sees you. He asks what is wrong and you tell him your car wont start. He offers you his chauffeur you will take you home. Now lets go one better - the King sees you, comes over, hears your problem and then says "don't worry, my Rolls is outside, jump in and I will take you home myself." Now that would be amazing. King Jesus has come for you not in a car but on a cross to die for you, to forgive your sin, to give you eternal life and to take you not to your home but back to his home forever. This is really a story that is worth repeating. This is what matters most. This is what really matters. The King of Kings has come for us. he has come for you by being nailed to a cross. It is so amazing. See how the people respond in verse 12:
"they were all amazed and glorified God saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'"
I remember the night I gave my life to Jesus at a mission. I went home and I had never seen anything like that before. For the first time in my life my guilt was taken away. I had peace and contentment. I knew God had called me to himself and if I was to die I would go home. I was ready. I never had that before. There is no better story. Jesus has not abandoned us. He has not left us. What matters most - our physical health matters. Sure people can help us with it to a certain extent but one day my physical health will give up as will yours. What will you do then? If our physical health gave up suddenly without warning we need to be ready. To prepare now. We can only hope in Jesus who has come for us. I wonder will you come to him. He came down from heaven to us. Will you ask him to forgive you of your sin? He will give you everlasting life. You will be loved by Jesus forever. Heaven matters most of all.
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