HEAL – God’s Heart for Healing in MarkSample

Caregivers

Caring for someone you love who is sick can take its toll on you. The endless doctor visits, hospital stays and worry that your loved one will not get better can weigh you down. So if you knew there was someone who could heal your loved one, wouldn’t you do anything?

This account takes place in Capernaum, late one night, where Jesus had already healed many in the town. Four men planned to bring their paralytic loved one to Jesus, but because of the dense crowds, they couldn’t get to Him. Desperate to have their loved one healed, they climbed on the roof of a home and took the tiles off to lower him down. They were willing to risk embarrassment, and more importantly, destruction of personal property to get this man before Jesus.

When we read this account closely, look at the role of the men. Their actions made a tremendous impact on Jesus. It wasn’t the actions of the man who was paralyzed, but the faith of his friends. Jesus then said something we don’t want to miss. Instead of telling the man to walk, He said to the paralytic man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Telling him his sins were forgiven isn’t exactly what the man was expecting. As a matter of fact, the teachers of the law thought Jesus was blaspheming God. Jesus then asked them why were they thinking such things? He questioned which was easier to understand: “Your sins are forgiven, or take up your mat and walk?” 

Jesus turned to the paralytic man and spoke to him directly with instructions to get up, carry his mat and go home. The dedication and faith that Jesus could heal their friend was rewarded with him leaving that house on his own two feet, carrying the mat he had laid on. 

We want to encourage you to reread this account again. Did the audience and the man possibly miss something important that Jesus was trying to convey when He responded to their need?  

Questions:

1. Can you identify with these men who were desperate to see their loved one healed?
2. Why do you think Jesus would speak to the gift of forgiveness of sins versus the gift of healing? Do you think they go hand in hand? Why?  
3. Do our actions line up with our faith?