POWER over Paralysis

We’ve been in the middle of our MIRACLE sermon series. In the course of this study, we’ve seen Jesus miraculously help people before it’s too late.
 
He met a man with incurable leprosy and cured him before it became fatal.
He’s heard about a man sick in bed and healed him before it became his deathbed.
He met a man with thousands of demons coursing through his body and drove out those demons before any permanent damage was done.
 
But…
 
What happens when the damage has already been done?
 
This morning, we continue our series, by examining an interaction Jesus had with a man who was paralyzed. His legs had already stopped working. He had no hope of walking again. Could Jesus help? Before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.
 
I. The Story
 
The account we’re looking is found in three different parts of Scripture. It’s found in Matthew 9, Mark 2, & Luke 5. Each writer adds different aspects to our understanding of this incredible miracle, so we’ll be looking at all of them.
 
Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. (Mt. 9:1) This would be Nazareth. The place Jesus grew up. It’s where he learned carpentry from his dad, where he went to Hebrew school with his buddies, where he played a game of baseball out at the local sandlot.
The people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door…
 
That means people were doing everything possible to fit into this room.
The three-person couch had become a five person couch.  
The kids had to sit crisscross applesauce on the floor.
There were probably even a few people doing wall sits over in the corner.
 
It was like one of our hallways during a Christmas or Easter service – it was jam-packed full.
And he preached the word to them. (Mk. 2:1-2)
But there was one group of people that weren’t quite there yet.
 
Walking through the streets…
Huffing, puffing, sweating…
And taking a quick break to catch their breath…
Were a group of five friends.
 
One of them was laying down on a stretcher.
The other four were carrying him on that stretcher.
 
The man on the cot was paralyzed.
 
In fact, that’s all the Bible tells us about him.
Not his first name.
Not his last.
Not his favorite drink at Starbucks.
Not any characteristic of his personality.
 
Just that he was paralyzed.
 
He couldn’t walk.
He couldn’t run.
He could hop.
He couldn’t skip.
He couldn’t jump.
He couldn’t even stand up.
 
But his friends had a hunch.
They had heard about Jesus.
They had about his miraculous power.
They had heard about his compassion.
 
They thought that if they could get their friend to Jesus, he could help.
 
So, they took a swig of “Passover Power” Gatorade and lifted the cot once more.
 
“I think the house is just ahead. Don’t worry. We’ll see Jesus soon enough.”
 
The problem was that many other people had that same idea.
And, since they weren’t carrying anyone on a cot, they had already gotten there.
In fact, when they found the house it was so full of people that some were crowding around the outside windows just to get a glimpse of the Savior.
 
“Guys, I don’t think we can make it in.”
“Especially not with this stretcher.”
“What a waste of a morning. All this – for nothing!”
“Hey, paralyzed friend. I’m sorry. But I think you’ll have to remain paralyzed. Things just aren’t looking up.”
 
“Wait.
Did you say, “looking up?”
“That’s it.”
 
In 1st century Israel, roofing was a bit different than now. Rather than solid rain deterrent shingles made of fiberglass and asphalt granules that can withstand wind forces of up to 60mph from fine shingle companies like Owens Corning, GAF and CertainTeed that you nail gun into a wooden roofing frames,  roofs at the time of Jesus were thatched of straw and mud. The higher-class citizens could afford pieces of tile that would be placed them into the mud concoction on top.
 
Still…
 
It wasn’t common practice for people to come into a house through a roof.
 
But in order to see Jesus…
 
The men took turns climbing up to the roof. With two on top, the two on the bottom hoisted up the cot containing their friend, grabbed a nearby rope and they climbed up themselves. Then, they began praying off the tiles, digging with their hands, and making a hole right in the middle of the roof.
 
On the underside, Jesus was in the middle of teaching. People were so interested in what he had to say that they had ignored the little kid crying. They had ignored the man with the cough in the corner.
 
But they couldn’t ignore this.
 
Because right above Jesus’ head, dirt started to fall.
Pieces of tile started to crack.
Light suddenly streamed in.
 
And then…
 
…a cot…
…lowered by ropes…
…with a man on it…
 
“Ummm….. Hiya Jesus!?!”
 
The room was silent.
What would Jesus do?
What would Jesus say?
How dare anyone interrupt him!
 
But Jesus smiled.
“Take heart Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2)
 
Do you remember how the room was filled with people? The Gospel of Luke makes note that some of those people were the Pharisees. These were the religious leaders of the time that didn’t like Jesus very much. After all, these crowds of people that were there to see him, used to be crowds of people that came to see them.
 
And upon hearing what Jesus said, they started muttering.
 
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Lk. 5:17-21)
Then some of the experts in the law said among themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming! (Mt. 9:3)
Blasphemy means saying you are God, when you aren’t.
That terrible sin in ancient Israelite society.
And with good reason.
 
If you tell people you are God (and you aren’t) and some of them believe (even though you aren’t), you’ll will be personally responsible for leading them to hell.
And since Jesus was telling this man that his sins were forgiven.
And only God can forgive sins.
Jesus was setting himself up as God!
Which would be blasphemy!
Unless…
 
Jesus responded to their question with another question:
“Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? (Mt. 9:4)
 
To understand what Jesus is getting at, think of yourself in a conversation with a relative who can no longer walk.
Which is easier to write on a greeting card to that person:
“Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk.”
 
I’ve visited a lot of hospitals.
I’ve visited a lot who are sick.
At Elmcroft retirement home, I run into people who can’t walk.
 
It’s not hard to tell them, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 
But…
Not once…
Have I ever said to one of these people, ‘Get up and walk.”
 
Why the difference?
 
If I tell someone their sins are forgiven, no one has any idea if that’s true or not.
Sins don’t go flying into the area.
A halo doesn’t appear on their head.
There isn’t a loud chorus of “Hallelujah.”
 
But if you tell someone who can’t walk to get up and walk…
If they don’t do that immediately?
You’re a fraud.
You’re a liar.
 
It didn’t work.
 
TRUTH: 
It is harder to claim a VISUAL miracle than an INVISIBLE one.  
 
So, follow Jesus’ logic:
It’s harder to claim the visual miracle than the invisible one.
But…
…so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. (Mt. 9:6)
 
Allow me to claim the hard one.
 
Jesus turned to the paralyzed man.
Looked up right in the eye.
And said, “Get up. Take your stretcher. Go home.”
And the man….
 
Looked at Jesus.
Looked at his friends
Wiggled his toes…and…
 
Got up.
Took his stretcher.
And went home.
 
II. The Truth about Jesus
 
TRUTH:
Jesus’ miracles are VISUAL proof of the INVISIBLE truth.  
 
Remember: There was a room full of people in that room.
And since this was a local miracle involving a local man, they probably knew him.
And their responses:
 
This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mk. 2:12)
They were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (Mt. 9:8)
Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Lk. 5:26)
 
The point?
Jesus speaks the truth.
Even when the truth is invisible.
 
That’s really important.
 
Because most of you here today aren’t physically paralyzed.
You can stand.
You can walk.
You can job.
You can run (just maybe not for all that long)
 
You may be able to walk, but you might still understand what it’s like to be paralyzed.
 
Paralyzed with guilt from that one sin you did last week.
Paralyzed with shame from the way you’ve been acting in front of your spouse.
Paralyzed with fear that God has abandoned you completely.
Paralyzed with sadness that God could never forgive you.
 
Again…
What’s easier to say?
“Your sins are forgiven” or “Kill me and three days later I’ll come back to life.”
 
But to prove that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins….
 
Jesus was said he would rise from the dead – and he did.
And this is proof that when Jesus tells you that your sins are forgiven – they are.
 
And does this throughout Scripture:
Your sins have been forgiven on account of Jesus’ name. (1 Jn. 2:12)
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9)
Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16)
 
Jesus’ power is real.
Forgiveness is real.
Your forgiveness is real.
 
TRUTH:
Not trusting Jesus’ power to FORGIVE is EVIL.
 
Look back at what Jesus said about the people who didn’t trust his power to forgive. He said, “Why are you thinking EVIL in your hearts?” (Mt. 9:4)
 
They were thinking that it was evil for someone who wasn’t God to claim to be God by forgiving sins.
But what if that person who is claiming to be God is God.
Then, the evil isn’t coming from God who is claiming to be God.
The evil is come from the one claiming that God isn’t God.
 
And granted – you might not actually say that Jesus isn’t God.
But you might say,
 
“I’ve sinned too much, Jesus.”  
“I should have to do something.”
“God needs me to help myself.”
 
Which is another way of saying:
 
Jesus, you don’t have authority to forgive sins.
I do.
 
Friends, that’s evil.
If that’s you, turn to Jesus.
And ask him forgiveness.
And trust that he grants it.
 
Because…
Jesus has all AUTHORITY to forgive.
 
It’s like a set of church keys:
 
If you asked me to unlock the front door of church for you, I could because I have the key & authority to do so.
If you asked me to unlock the janitor’s closet, I could because I have the key and the authority to do so.
If you asked me to unlock the door to Precious Lambs, I could because I have the key and the authority to do so.
 
If you asked Jesus to unlock you from the guilt of your sins, He could…
…and he would…
…and he did…because he has the key and authority to do so.
 
And the key was his blood.
 
Jesus lived perfectly.
Jesus died innocently.
Jesus rose triumphantly for the forgiveness of your sins.
 
When he tells you that he unlocked guilt, he means it.
 
III. What Now?
 
(1) Do Whatever It Takes to Get to Jesus
 
Do a quick case study of this man’s friends:
They were willing to carry him great distances.
They were willing to climb a roof.
They were willing to cut a hole in that roof…
They were doing whatever it took to get to Jesus…
 
…all because they trusted Jesus’ power to heal.
 
Do the same.
 
Because it’s so easy in this life to feel paralyzed.
Things happen during the weak that can paralyze you with shame, guilt, sadness, and fear.
 
Jesus heals that paralysis.
So, do whatever you can to get to him.
 
That means making worship a can’t-miss for the week.
It means Group Study is something that you don’t let a little traffic deter you from.
It means that you reach over to your bedside table – and open the Bible.
 
(2) Do Whatever it Takes to Get Your Friends to Jesus
 
Because these men didn’t get to Jesus for themselves. They did whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus.
 
Do you know someone in need of the forgiveness Jesus brings?
Could be a friend.
A family member.
Or coworker.
 
Someone paralyzed by fear, guilt, and shame.
 
Do whatever it takes to get them to Jesus.
 
Because Jesus has power over paralysis.
Power to free from any paralysis.
Power to free so that you can walk.
 
Through life.
With Jesus. Amen.