ACE #309: Is Your Life Too Crowded?

Mark 2 

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

2:1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

I find it intriguing that people were so eager to hear what this man, Jesus, had to say - his preached word - "that there was no room left, not even outside the door."  The Scripture says that a paralyzed man, carried by four other men, was lowered on his mat down through the roof into the presence of Jesus.  It says that "Jesus saw their faith".  It is an awesome thing when the people who surround you, your inner circle, have so much faith that Jesus sees it.  There's something to be said about surrounding yourself with the right kind of people.  

When Jesus speaks directly to the paralyzed man by saying, "Son, your sins are forgiven" he did two things:  he called this man into a relationship, a familial position, and he forgave him.  The other teachers outwardly doubted Jesus, which in turn, Jesus asserted His spiritual authority to forgive sins on earth, but also to command sickness to leave the place. He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He performed a miracle right on their faces, in the midst of a crowd, in full view of everyone assembled.  

As I reread this story, I have to wonder if maybe we have allowed our crowded lifestyles to get in the way of us getting closer to Jesus.  Or perhaps because we have not asked for forgiveness...our miracles have not yet occurred.  

I encourage anyone today who has too many things going on to "uncrowd" your life, get rid of the busyness, and check your inner circle so that you can get closer to Jesus. Go to God earnestly in prayer and ask for forgiveness for whatever the sin and be released from the spiritual paralysis in your life so that you can be among those that can witness, "We have never seen anything like this!" 

It is time to pick up your mat...