Mark 2:1-12: He Came Through the Roof to See Jesus

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INTRODUCTION

One of the most intense trials we as believers can experience is when we want to believe but feel that doubts threaten to overwhelm our faith.

It could happen when we are in the midst of some tragedy—and we begin to doubt the reality of God.

This is a more common problem than we may realize.

There is a story in the gospels that has helped me in thinking about how we may strengthen each other’s faith.

This is the story, from Mark 2:1-12.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, and it was reported that he was at home. And many gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them.

And they came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four men.

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 mat on which the paralytic lay.

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

Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, take up your mat and go home.”

And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

I. Let’s imagine the scene.

A. Jesus, we read, was “at home.”

We don’t know whose house this was, but we gather from the gospels that several friends of Jesus welcomed him into their homes as a guest. In chapter 1 we read that he was at Peter’s house in this same town of Capernaum. I think this event may have happened at Peter’s house.

The house was, no doubt, a small one, as were all the houses of the common people.

And on this day, it was packed with people crowding in to hear Jesus tell the gospel. There was even a crowd around the doorway listening to what was being said inside.

To help you imagine this story, I need to tell you how these houses were made in that country.

They were made with stone or mudbrick walls.

Beams were laid across the top of the walls and the beams were covered with reeds, matted layers of thorns, and several inches of clay.

Because there was little rain, the ceiling was almost flat.

In Iowa, we know that flat roofs always leak. Maybe in the drier climate of Palestine, the rain wasn’t so much of a problem.

Outside, along one wall of the house, was a stairway to the roof.

And around the roof was a low wall.

In hot weather people would to go up to the roof in the evening because it would be cooler there and on hot nights they might sleep up there.

B. While Jesus is addressing the crowd, four men show up carrying a stretcher with their paralyzed friend lying on it.

There’s no way they can get through that crowd around the door.

They scratch their heads and make a decision.

Up the stairway they go to the roof.

They dig a hole through the roof and enlarge it, and then lower their friend down into the room below.

I can imagine the surprise of the people in the room as they look up, and the dirt begins to sift down on them, and they see the four faces gathered around the opening in the roof, and they see the mat with the helpless man on it descending.

However the others in the room may have felt about the disruption, Jesus was not displeased.

C. When the sick man arrived at Jesus’s feet, he said something that surprised everyone.

He said, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

This seems odd to us. But in those days most people believed that sickness was caused by sin.

And I think that in this case this man probably had something on his conscience. Jesus knew of his problem and saw that the first thing that needed to be done was to assure the sick man of forgiveness.

But people didn’t go around forgiving sins. That was God’s job, and that is why the teachers of the law—the theologians in the room—began to question Jesus in their hearts.

Jesus knew their hearts. He challenged them: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your stretcher and walk?’” (vv9-10).

You know that if you’ve been in bed for even a few days and get up, you’re going to be very unsteady on your feet. But this formerly-paralyzed man just got off the pallet, folded it up, and walked through the crowd to the door, and then outside to join his friends. He was completely healed!

In Luke’s version of the story we read that the healed man went home glorifying God. Maybe he was singing a favorite praise song.

The people were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” I guess not. I guess not. I wish I could have been there to see it.

II. Here’s the lesson from this story that’s so important to me.

A. We read, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic…”

Jesus saw the faith of the four men as they overcame all obstacles to bring their friend to Jesus.

We don’t know whether the man on the stretcher had faith or not. It was the faith of his four friends that counted here.

The important lesson I take away from this story is how our faith can bless others.

Your faith may, in a sense, bring your friend to Jesus.

Your faith may help your friend to believe.

B. A pastor told of a letter he had received from a friend who had attended his Easter service. It went like this: “I walked up Madison Avenue after the service saying to myself, ‘I can’t believe all that stuff: yet they believe it. I can hang on to that.’”

The pastor adds, “He did—and the anchor held—not the anchor of his faith, but the anchor of the community of believers, the anchor of living hope, ‘an anchor safe and sure…’”

Have you ever held on to someone else’s faith?

Can you imagine that someone sometime may have held on to your faith?

There may have been a time when your faith strengthened a weak believer and helped him or her to hold onto Christ.

CONCLUSION

I want to conclude with a story I found in a book entitled Stories for the Journey, by William R. White.

“What is your favorite story, Papa?” the little girl asked her father as he tucked her under the sheets.

“Let me see,” he said as he sat on the edge of the bed. “There are so many that I like. The story we read tonight at supper of the four men who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus, lowering him through the roof, is one of my favorites, because it reminds me so much of how your Uncle Hans was healed.”

“I don’t know that story,” the little girl said hopefully. “Please tell it to me, Papa,”

“Many years ago,” the father began, “Hans and his wife, Enid escaped the war in Europe so that he could continue his life of teaching in the seminary. At first, things were difficult because his English was not good, but soon he became one of our seminary’s most beloved teachers. The students loved him because he was warm and gentle, and when he spoke, the scriptures came alive.

“Hans and Enid were very much in love. Nearly every day they took long walks together, holding hands. It warmed the hearts of students and faculty alike to see them sitting close to each other in church.

“Then one day Enid died. Hans was struck with sorrow. For weeks, he would not eat or take walks. The seminary president, along with three other friends, visited him regularly, but he felt lonely and depressed. He was experiencing the ‘dark night of the soul.’

“On one of their visits, Hans said to his friends, ‘I am no longer able to pray to God. In fact, I am not certain I believe in God.’

“After a moment of silence, the seminary president said, ‘Then we will believe for you. We will make your confession for you. We will pray for you.’

“The other friends looked bewildered by their president’s words, but not knowing what else to say they agreed.

“In the days ahead, the four men met daily for prayer. They made confession on behalf of uncle Hans. They asked God to restore the gift of faith to their dear friend, and they continued to visit him in his home.

“Then, after many months, the four men all gathered in Hans’s living room. He smiled before he spoke. ‘It is no longer necessary for you to pray for me. Today, I would like you to pray with me.’

“The dark night of the soul had passed.”

There was a long silence before the little girl spoke. “Uncle Hans was just like the sick man in the story, wasn’t he, Papa? Only instead of a mat to carry him to Jesus, his friends used prayer.”

The father nodded and kissed his daughter.

Does that sound like a far-fetched story to you? It doesn’t, to me, because something almost like that happened to me 45 years ago when Charlotte was in the hospital, and I was sure she was dying. She was in intensive care for weeks, and the hospital bills were mounting astronomically, and we had no insurance.

I was so distraught that I couldn’t pray. I just said the Lord’s Prayer over and over. My faith was at the breaking point.

But faith-filled friends in our church gathered around with their prayers and their very practical help—and I was able to hang onto their faith when mine was giving way.

And that made all the difference.

Finally, my faith came back—I believe, stronger than it was before—because I was surrounded by believing brother and sisters in Christ.

That’s why I think it’s so important to go to church and to have close friends who love God.

Whenever you have a friend who’s suffering, whether from sickness, or disappointment, or any affliction, remember that she or he may be having a struggle with faith. God seems far away when everything is going wrong.

But when faith-filled fellow believers are standing beside you, you can lean on their faith.

And when someone you know is in the furnace of affliction, you can be that friend to give your friend the courage to go on.

It’s not by giving advice—or quoting scriptures—or assuring your friend that it’s God’s will—or saying, “God is in control!”

Let your struggling friend know that you pray and that you care—and also think of something helpful to do.

Express your faith just like you express your love—by actions. And your faith, expressed by generous, loving actions will make it easier for your friend to believe.