When Grace Descends 1
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. 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4Since 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. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6Now 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?”
8Immediately 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? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But 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.” 12He 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.
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 − 14After 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 − 27The 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.” 28News 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 − 40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make 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 – 5When 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.
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? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But 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? 9Which 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.
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-and-now 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.