The paralytic man who was healed by Jesus in Mark’s gospel was the focus of our women’s group lesson this month. I thought I knew the story. It goes something like this: A paralyzed man’s friends can’t get through the crowd to Jesus, so they haul him up on the roof, cut a hole, and lower him inside. Jesus forgives his sins for him, and in the process thoroughly ticks off those who thought they knew better. And, to further make his point, Jesus heals the man’s paralysis, too.
2So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? 10But so 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, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ (Mark 2:2-11)
And Bob’s your uncle. Which, by the way, is a saying picked up from living in North Carolina for several years. It is roughly equivalent, I guess, to saying “And there you have it.” Wow. That’s a great story, even if it ended right there.
But that’s not the end of it. You know how sometimes when you are watching a movie in the theater and you think it’s all over? You get up from your seat and start moving toward the aisle. Then you see something that tells you there’s more! It’s not quite over yet. Wait, sit down, and see what you might have missed if you had left too soon.
12And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’ (Mark 2:12)
He went out before all of them.
This man experienced the forgiveness of his sins as well as physical healing. The friends who brought him had faith that Jesus could help him. Somehow, they knew. But there were plenty of other people around there who didn’t, so he showed them.
They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!”
What brings you to meet Jesus in worship? Did your parents or a friend bring you? Did they know something you didn’t know, like the friends of the paralyzed man? Or did you come on your own? I'm not talking about when you didn’t have a choice whether or not to come to church when you were a kid. And I don’t want to hear about how your neighbors don’t come to church on Sunday. Why are you coming? There must be a reason now that you have a choice.
Has Jesus changed you? Has this Love made a difference in your life? Can anyone else see that? What happens to us when we come (or are brought) to meet Jesus in worship? What do we experience? What keeps us coming back week after week, year after year? Isn’t it the same thing all the time? Aren’t you tired yet of those same old bible stories and hymns; sitting in the same pew with the same people? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?
There must be something pretty compelling in this day and age, when the societal pressures to attend church aren’t what they used to be. You can get by with staying in bed or playing golf on Sunday now without getting a lot of flak from the community. Heck, even your fellow congregation members probably won’t give you a hard time for not showing up.
He went out before all of them.
Jesus changes lives. He changes us. When we figure out how to convey that in a way that is visible to those who have not seen, we won’t have to be anxious about filling empty pews because we will be too busy making room for everyone who comes to see what is so amazing.
They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!”
The text doesn’t tell us that the man said anything about what happened to him, though maybe he did. Either way, I’d still call him an evangelist. He shares what Jesus has done, if not through words, then through his actions.
When I hear the word “evangelize,” the first thing that comes to my mind is preaching, which is something we normally just expect the pastor to do. If that is all there is to it, though, then we are relying on someone else to do what God has called us to do as well. What it really means is simply speaking the faith to one another. In other words, we talk in everyday conversational language about the difference that God has made and is still making in our lives.
It’s tough to put into words, I know. I, too, struggle with how to express it. We don’t want to sound preachy. We don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. But we need to develop the vocabulary and the confidence to talk about faith as easily as we discuss football or movies or decorating or farming or cooking or whatever. If we don’t, how will anyone else know what is so amazing?
Every week, we hear Good News, the Best News. Our sins are forgiven and we are changed. Isn’t it worth finding a way to share outside the church walls?
And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’
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