Mark 2:1-2 New Living
Translation (NLT)
2 When Jesus returned to
Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was
so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door.
While he was preaching God’s word to them,
Where Jesus is. There are crowds. We
wanted heaven to be crowded. A crowd is good where Jesus is the
focus. There is something magnetic about the presence of
Jesus.
Mark 2:3 New Living
Translation (NLT)
3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
What was life
like for that paralyzed man? He had to depend on someone else for
everything. He was a prisoner to that mat. He longed for a
different life. He had nothing, but he does have some friends.
Mark 2:4 New Living
Translation (NLT)
4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so
they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on
his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
1.
His friends were committed.
They made room
by going through the roof. Everybody has a mat. It's the things
that we struggle with. Our fears. Our doubts. Our
regrets. It's what we're not proud off and attempt to hide.
What separated
this man from everyone is what brought his friends together. We all
need friends who are not afraid of your mat. Some days you'll be on the
mat. Some days you'll be carrying someone else's mat.
There are 4
types of people. Those who add, and subtract, multiply, and
divide. Hang out with those who add and multiply. Flee from those
who subtract and divide.
Their faith
was so great in Jesus, and their love was so great for their friend. They
had to do something. They had to step out in faith.
If you want to
have something different, you have to do something that you've never
done. We must take a few risk, and do something that might make us
uncomfortable.
Religion will
keep you outside the house, but Jesus is in the house. They thought that
we must get our friend to Jesus.
What about the
home owner? Someone was digging through his roof!
These guys
were cutting in line! They just had to get at the feet of
Jesus. If you do, you'll get exactly what you're looking for.
If you want a
friend like that. Be a friend like that. Be a friend you'd like to
have. We must go to the mat for Jesus.
Mark 2:5 New
Living Translation (NLT)
5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My
child, your sins are forgiven.”
Who's faith
did Jesus see? You have no idea what your faith can do for a
friend. He took no notice of a broken body, but hisa broken soul.
Mark 2:6-12 New Living
Translation (NLT)
6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting
there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked
them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or
‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out
through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God,
exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
Why did Jesus
say take your mat and go home? That mat was his prison. The mat
owned him. Now he owned that mat. It was a reminder of what Jesus
saved him from.
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