The Paralysed Man

Let’s go back in time this morning, to Capernaum, at the time of Jesus and just imagine that you are the paralysed person from our gospel reading today.

You have no mobility at all, and you are entirely dependent upon others for all your needs to be met. But you have some good friends, your family is very supportive, and nothing is a trouble to them.

They all burst into your room early that morning, and are excited because they have heard that Jesus is back in town. They wash and dress you, all the while telling you that this time they will take you to Jesus, and they’ll beg him to heal you. Their faith is strong, and this time they won’t fail in their resolve to get you there. They promise that by evening you will be well.

 You remember that the last time Jesus was in town, you all somehow missed out on your opportunity to get to him, before he left to go to other places, but this time your friends and family are determined, and you begin to feel excited. Could this be the day?

You feel no pain as you are jostled through the deserted streets on your stretcher, only a feeling of overwhelming helplessness, as they run on…. but hope has begun stirring inside you.

You all reach the place where Jesus is staying, and you all realise why the streets have been empty. Everyone in the entire town is here listening to Jesus, and there is no way through, the crowds are packed together so tightly.

You begin to feel shut out, rejected, abandoned by God, denied access to the one who could bring healing to you.

You begin to feel the curse of your sins upon you, you feel crushed by self-condemnation. This is your punishment, to remain in your present state of paralysis. Doomed forever, to be locked in a self made prison.

But your friends are discussing further possibilities. They are suggesting passing you over the heads of the crowd, having already made enquiries about other entrances to the house and they find that there are none. How wonderful to have such friends as these. Even now when all seems impossible, they still won’t take ‘No’ for an answer.

Then you find yourself bundled up some stairs at the side of the house, and you are terrified that you will slide off the stretcher and fall. Then you see all your friends hacking their way into the roof, ignoring the complaints of the owner and the shouts of the people below.

They breakthrough, and you find yourself lowered down to the feet of Jesus, who looks at you kindly and smiles. Then he looks up at your friends, sees their faith, then says these words directly to you:-

“Son, your sins are forgiven!”

At that precise moment you are filled with inexplicable joy. You know that this forgiveness is not the forgiveness of ordinary people, where faults are still remembered and held forever against you, No. This is nothing short of the forgiveness of God himself. What did it say in Isaiah again?

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

You are completely clean and free, at last. It is enough, even if your paralysis remains.

Imagine your joy, when after some protestation by the teachers of the law, Jesus commands you to take up your mat and walk. Imagine the thrill of being upright, and able and strong once more, to feel the power of God surge through you….. to know that you can begin to live all over again, and somehow that life will never be the same again.

Deep in the heart of every person is the need to be loved, respected, befriended, supported and forgiven.

In the heart of every person is the hope of a life which will last forever.

In 2 Corinthians, we are assured, as Christians, that we belong to God, and to one another, and that he has set his seal of ownership upon us all.

As Christians, we have a guarantee of what is to come; life that lasts forever.

This is what our sin–sick world needs, not to be judged but to be carried all the way to Jesus’ feet, and we must be its stretcher bearers.

We must become more like those who bore the paralysed man on a mat to a place of healing, we must seek to possess qualities of friendship like theirs.

The ones who carried this man’s stretcher were an anonymous group of people, showing resourcefulness, determination, faith, courage, and compassion.

 We too must be unstoppable and unswerving in our resolve. We too must not accept ‘No’ for an answer, as we struggle forward, in order that the world be blessed and restored to wholeness.

And, we too need to come to the feet of Jesus, if by any chance we ourselves have become paralysed; wearied in service, burdened by sin, half-hearted in our worship, tight-fisted with the gifts God has given to us.

“Forget the former things:” God says to us today,

“ and do not dwell on the past.”

Let us come and delight to see him do new things with us.

Let us get up, take our mats and walk!