Lesson 45

LESSON 45

2Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Chapter 1 summary: Jesus is described or seen as: Son of God (v 1), Whose coming was prophesied hundreds of years before He appeared (vs 2-3), announced as the Messiah by John the Baptist (vs 4-8), anointed and approved by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (vs 9-11), Overcomer of temptations (vs12-13), Leader (vs 16-20), Teacher (vs 21-22), Deliverer (vs 23-27), Healer of illness (vs 29-34), One Who prayed (v35), Preacher (vs 38-39), Healer of incurable disease (vs 40-45)

Mark 2:1-12

1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 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. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8And 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? 9Whether 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? 10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12And 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.

This is a story of a man who is paralyzed. He has been put on a blanket or stretcher of some sort by 4 men, probably family and/or friends, and brought to Jesus' house in Capernaum. This fellow is not a baby or a small child, because one man could have carried him had that been the case. It took four fellows to carry this man.

Why do I think it was Jesus' house? It could have been Peter's or some other's house, but the owner should have gotten angry when strangers started disassembling the roof and breaking the timber that supported the roof tiles. No one did.

Therefore, it probably was Jesus' house, either rented or owned by Him. (Remember that for many years, until the age of nearly 30 (Luke 3:23), He worked as a carpenter to support His mother and siblings. His work would have been of the highest quality and very artistic, and so probably in great demand. Therefore, Jesus would have been prosperous, able to make a good living in this trade. Jesus would have had all the blessings of obedience that are promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-13.)

You may have heard that Jesus was very poor, but that was true only at the time of His death on the cross. He gave up everything He had had in heaven and on earth to take our place on the cross and to die as our Sacrifice. 2 Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Secondly, those who quote what Jesus said in Matthew 8:20 as proof of His poverty… 20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head…. as a support for Jesus not having a house, forget that after Joseph, Mary's husband, died, Jesus, as the eldest Son, was obligated to provide a home for His mother, brothers and sisters, and in that particular statement Jesus was teaching that His kingdom was not here on earth, as Herod's (fox--Luke 13:31-32) and Rome's (ensign was the eagle) were.

1. When the men got there, what did they find?

2. What was Jesus doing?

3. The four men bringing the paralyzed man with them didn't come to hear the teaching. What had they come for?

4. When the four men get to the house, they want to see the Healer (1:42-45), but they can't get in because of the crowd. Most people would have given up their quest and gone away defeated. These four don't. They talked it over and devised another way to get their friend to the Healer. They got some ropes, lifted the stretcher up the narrow stairs to the flat roof that acted as an upstairs deck (see Acts 10:9) for the house, pulled up enough of the roof tiles to get a stretcher down into the house and eased their friend down in the space in front of Jesus. This was hard work, but they were determined to bring their friend to Jesus for the help he needed. They were sure Jesus could heal him. Their works showed what about them?

Their intrusion interrupted the teaching that Jesus was doing. The men jeopardized their safety to lower this man down into the house. Yet they let nothing stop them from reaching Jesus.

5. When Jesus addresses the sick man, He doesn't immediately say, "be healed." He says that the man's sins are forgiven (v 5). What does that have to do with healing?

6. After Jesus speaks to the sin problem of the patient, then He addresses the physical reason for his being brought to Him (vs 11-12).

a. What does He say?

b. What does the man do?

c. What connection is there between faith and obedience? Between hearing the Word of God and walking in it?

James 1:22, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves... whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Romans 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

1 Peter 1:13-16 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct); 16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

2 Corinthians 2:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

Principle: Faith and obedience are connected. One who has faith in God and who has made Jesus Lord of his life will want to walk in obedience to all that the Lord has said.