And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying,

“A great prophet has arisen among us!” and

“God has visited his people!”

¹⁷ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. – Luke 7:15-17

Can you imagine hearing about this? Can you imagine what you would think as you heard other stories about this Jesus of Nazareth (who now lived in Capernaum) healing many in the crowds who now followed this expected Messiah of Israel?

And dare we wonder how the Good News (Gospel) must have affected those with continued needs of healing. The Good News about Jesus is abuzz in the ears of all Galilee, Judea and even Samaria.

Mark 1

²¹ And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² And they were astonished at his teaching,for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

Jesus routinely goes to worship, but is interrupted by a demon who knows He is the Son of God.

Jesus frees the man from his demon! He goes to the house of Simon Peter and heals his wife’s mother of a fever. He heals many sick as the crowds come to hear the Messiah in Galilee.

… Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. – Mark 1:45b

Jesus’ personal and daily life (normalcy, we might call it) was interrupted in every way. God, in the Person of Christ, in your neighborhood is Headline News… Good News.

Mark 2

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.

⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

I love friends persistent in their love; don’t you? These men had heard all about God With Us, the Christ who heals. They had little chance of getting to Him through the crowds, but by persistence of faith and constancy of love pressed on to reach the unreachable God, interrupting the teaching of this Superstar in their midst.

It reminds me of the love of the friends of Job.

Job 2:7-8; 11-13 excerpt

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place…  They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him… And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

These are the quality of friends who would bring a man to the Messiah, boldly interrupting Him, asking the Lord for the mercy of healing.

And what was the usual reaction of the congregation? What are they thinking as Jesus is teaching to them in this most worshipful setting; that is, until the commotion of men breaking through the roof above them? And how does a compassionate God With Us react to this interruption of His preaching?

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” (The paralyzed man is healed!) That should be the end of it: another miracle.

(Now moving on: what was I telling you about God?)

Yet these witnesses of God’s mercy now receive the rebuke of an even more authoritative teaching:

“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’?

(You, church goer! Are you paying attention here? My sermon about God’s judgement, mercy, love and power is for ALL; not just you.)

[Well, that’s probably the unkind way I might have said it.] Jesus turns to those of his original faithful audience with the best seats in church:

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.”

¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Other eye-witness accounts of the miracles of the Messiah, the Good News of the Gospels might say something like:

‘Because of their faith, many believed.’

Does anyone believe because of your faith in Jesus Christ?

 

All were amazed. Some believed.

The Apostle Matthew in his Gospel reports: And he rose and went home.  When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:7-8

Imagine that you are one in the crowd who pressed against this house in Capernaum where Jesus was surrounded by Scribes and many others – a house where men with a make-shift stretcher had pushed through until visibly climbing onto the roof and relaying the paralyzed man up to each other then lowering him down inside. Out the door walks a group of faithful friends which included the joyous man healed by Christ Jesus! What is your reaction?

• Does Jesus Christ have authority in your life?
• Do you believe in the Messiah of Almighty God now?
• Do you have just a bit more hope and joy like the man walking on legs which were lifeless?
• Is your soul lifeless without the hope of the forgiveness of sins spoken by Christ Jesus?

“God has visited his people!”

 

“Son [or daughter], your sins are forgiven.”