"Never, never, never give up." These words were spoken by the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill. Churchill's life exemplified these words.
He had a speech impediment, and possibly mild dyslexia. He dealt with depression from political isolation of the 1940's because of many setbacks during the early years of World War II. But he never, never, never gave up.
However, it has to be admitted that we all have our limits. There comes a point for all of us when we at least feel "enough is enough." But what do we do then?
Mark chapter 2 writes of a man that was at this point.
Mark 2..
3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
The man can't stand, he can't walk. His limbs are bent, his body is twisted. It could be that he had a body in this state from the very day he was born. While other children ran and jumped, he just sat and stared.
But perhaps he had been healthy once. Maybe there was a time when he had been known for his ability rather than his disability. Maybe at one time, he not only loved sports, but he did very well at sports. But then came the day of the accident - the careless tumble down the stairs and the awkward landing from which his body never fully recovered. So, whether he was born paralyzed or became paralyzed, the result was the same, a life of total dependency on other people.
What would you say this man needs? He needs a new body, right? He needs hands to grip, arms that swing, feet that dance. At least that is what his friends thought and so they did what anyone would do for friend, they tried to get help. Their thinking is rather clear. If any one can help this man, it was Jesus.
But by the time the four friends arrived to see Jesus the situation looked hopeless. The doorways were jammed. People strained their necks to get a glimpse of Jesus through the windows, others on tip toe looking over shoulders. So what do you do? You have a choice - give up or go on. They decided to go on. They came up with a plan to climb to the top of the house cut through the roof and lower their friend to Jesus below which they believe could help him.
That is what strong faith does. It does the unexpected. It takes risks. It finds ways of getting through and will not easily take 'no' for an answer. Faith is always active, never passive. It lunges forward and doesn't hold back. And such faith is rewarded as we see here in verse 5.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
Here were four men who had enough hope in Jesus and enough love for their friend that regardless of the cost they took a chance. Someone was willing to risk embarrassment and injury to get close to the man from Galilee.
Maybe that is what God is calling you to do. Maybe deep down you know you, too, need Jesus but see only hopeless walls before you, that you would have to deal with, if you came to Him. What would your family think? What would happen if you went to work telling everyone in the office that you now follow Christ? Would they all just mock you? After all, you may have participated in the mocking of others when they became Christian.
But what would have happened had these men in Mark taken that attitude? "Oh my, there are too many people. We came this far, but it's too hard to go on, so let's go home."
Then the man would still have been on his bed and the friends would have been forever filled with remorse, wondering if they had done the right thing.
To come to know the true God one must first believe. That takes some guts. It's a new change where once you didn't believe and mocked others, the very words you have said will now visit you. Is all that worth it?
The time has come to stop looking at a distance at Christianity but to draw close, take a deep breath, believe, and dive in.
What was it that the friends wanted and the man wanted? They wanted his body to be healed. Jesus wanted to give more. Jesus knew he needed a healing of the soul. And why is this? Because healing the body lasts only for a moment, while healing the soul lasts for an eternity.
Don't misunderstand me, what the friends were wanting was valid, but in Jesus' mind there was a greater need. Expectations were high, but not high enough. They expected Jesus to say, "I heal you" what he actually said was, "I forgive you."
Notice how Jesus addressed him, he calls him "Son," a term of friendship and affection.
Don't you hear the tender compassion in Jesus' voice? "Son, your sins are forgiven" literally, "At this very moment your sins are forgiven." And what happened? His body remained the same, no change there. But his standing before a holy God had been transformed. No longer is he cut off from God, he is reconciled to God. The change is from foe to friend. God gives what He sees as needful and not just what we ask.
But for the religious leaders, Jesus had gone too far.
Verse 6-7...
But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
And they are right. Who can forgive sin, but God? No one. The Bible says so.
Isaiah 43: 25
"I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."
Ultimately every sin committed against someone else is a sin committed against God even if we have not deliberately had him in mind. Why? Because he is the moral ruler of this world. If I have offended God then that offense has to be forgiven by God and only God can do this. Jesus is acting as if he were God, going around forgiving sins, or claiming authority to forgive sins which exclusively belongs to God. If this is merely a man, then it would be blasphemy, but suppose he is God then what?
Jesus tackles this head on because he knows what they are thinking, maybe from the indignant look on their faces, but more than likely through a supernatural reading of their hearts ....
verses 8-12...
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Which is harder - Forgiveness of sin or the healing of a body? Jesus did the harder first (forgiving sins), in order to show the greater need and that He had the power to forgive.
Now do you see what our greatest need is and what God's priority is? If our greatest need was physical Jesus would have remained a healer. Think of what he could have done with 60-70 years of an extensive healing ministry. Many a family would have been rejoicing over that. But in less than two years after this incident he was going to be killed. And why? Because that was God's means of curing our greatest sickness, which is our sin.
This is not to say physical needs are unimportant, but it is to say that they are not the most important. And you can see why.
We were made for a relationship with God- that is the purpose of our existence, to know Him, to love Him and be loved by Him. Sin reverses all of that. Instead of embracing God's kindness we feel the chilly wind of his judgement and it is a frightening and painful thing.
Life never makes sense while we are in that state. And if we were to leave this world in that condition then the most appalling fate awaits us, a condition far more serious than the paralysis this man suffered, eternal paralysis. And God is so stirred by our plight that He moves heaven and earth to spare us by sending His Son to be paralyzed for us on the cross as He bears away our sin forever.