Mark 2:1-5 1And after he returned again to Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was at the house. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he spoke to them the word. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four people. 4And because they were not able to bring him on account of the crowd, they removed the roof where he was, and after they had dug through, they let down the mat upon which the paralytic lay. 5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Chapter two marks a turning point in the story of Jesus as the opposition to him begins to grow and the attacks increase. He first experiences unspoken criticism in verses 6 and 8. This continues to grow until it reaches the point in 3:6 that people are ready to kill him. The progression of time in these chapters is not clear and could cover many months or even years (2:1, 13, 18, 23; 3:1). The form of this section is a miracle story with a controversial pronouncement story inserted. As a miracle story, it is the last of five; as a pronouncement story, it is the first of five with the last in 3:6.
The story is divided into two scenes. Scene 1 begins with Jesus finishing a ministry tour, likely out in the wilderness areas. He was in familiar territory again where everyone knew him. He had returned to the house, likely referring to Simon’s home where the events at the end of chapter 2 took place. This was familiar territory where everyone knew him. His reputation as a miracle performer was spreading. It was hard to keep the news quiet in Galilee where everybody was talking about this traveling teacher and healer. Large crowds showed up wherever Jesus went. Some people were desperate for his healing touch. Others were just curious. Skeptics also came to see if the stories were true. Some people became believers and followers, while others did not find what they expected and so left disturbed by Jesus’ words and not sure what they had seen.
Jesus was faithful to his mission of speaking the word of God’s kingdom. Mark is not concerned at this point what this word was; revelation of the theme of this word will wait until chapter 4 where it becomes clear that it is the kingdom that Jesus began to proclaim in 1:15. We can imagine Jesus preaching in the stuffy room with others peering into the windows and doors. The house was probably no bigger than most people’s lounge rooms.
Then suddenly, Jesus was interrupted by sticks, dirt, and other roofing materials falling on him and all around him. The typical roof in those days consisted of boards, sticks, and dirt on a flat surface that was sometimes used as a porch or a place to rest in the cool of the day or to sleep at night. Many such roofs had a stairway or ladder leading to them. It would not take a lot of work to dig through such a roof but a lot more effort getting a person up on top of the house. The four friends knew that making a hole in the roof could easily be done and could easily be repaired.
The act of the dedicated friends changed the whole situation. They saw only one solution: the paralyzed man had to get in to see Jesus. The text emphasizes Jesus’ word and the response of the friends’ faith to the paralytic’s need. When Jesus saw their faith is a key phrase. Their faith was evident in all the effort they took to get their friend into Jesus’ presence.
The urgent need of the paralyzed man was for healing. He could not walk, move about, or work but was probably confined to living a life of total dependence upon others. This was a serious need. But the man had a deeper need: he needed to have his burden of sin removed from his shoulders. He physically could not bear the weight of his body, and he spiritually could not bear the weight of his sins.
Jesus speaks to him so tenderly, like a father: “Child, your sins are forgiven. I’m lifting the weight of shame from your shoulders so that, pardoned by me, you can stand upright before God, even though you are still lying flat on your back.”
Faith is the necessary step in healing and forgiveness. Faith in Mark has a target, an object: Jesus Christ. Faith in faith will not heal and bring forgiveness. Faith in the Savior will. Faith in Mark’s Gospel is always linked to some type of action or attitude as people respond to Jesus. Hope sparks the flame of faith. Faith opens the doors to miracles.
The paralyzed man could not come to Jesus on his own. He needed the help of his friends who became a community of faith for him. They had come together around the suffering of their friend to support and carry him.
It is curious why Jesus’ first response was forgiveness. Jesus saw sin to be the man’s real problem. ometimes there is a link between physical well-being and spiritual well-being. In the medical field, this is called a psychosomatic illness. Guilt can sometimes be literally paralyzing. The paralytic’s sin problem lay at the core of his soul. Sin will keep us from inheriting eternal life. There are not greater sins and lesser sins. All sin is a violation of the law of love.
Sometimes sickness is due to sin, but many times it is not. Forgiveness of sins does not always bring about a cure. Jesus always dealt with people at the level they could understand. Perhaps there was something about the man that needed physically healed and spiritually forgiven. Perhaps the man’s own conscience was troubled about his physical problem.
At first, Jesus does not mention anything about physical healing. The forgiveness of sins does not cure this man’s paralysis but spoke to the deeper problem of the man. Jesus spoke peace to this man: “Child, God is not angry with you. He loves you and forgives you. You do not need to be afraid.” Healing reverses the call of death and the invasion of sin.
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