Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of my Sunday School lesson commentary. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Called To Heal” and is found in Mark 2:1-12.
One of the major task Jesus had before Him was convincing people He is who He said He was. Most people will not simply take a person’s word if they are making an unusual claim. They want some proof of their claim. This is why many places require everyday people to produce some identification that collaborates or authenticates their claim.
In Jesus’s day, people didn’t have any form of picture ID to show others who they were. Even if they did, how do authenticate a claim to be the Son of Man sent on a mission from God with the authority to forgive sins?
Jesus on at least one occasion told the Jews who doubted His words to look at His works for the verification of His identity they seek. It was the works that Jesus did that helped to establish His identity to the Jews and the world. Jesus’s works includes all the things we call miraculous He did in the name of His Father.
“Many works have I done in the Father’s name” He told the Jews. “For which one of these works do you want to stone me” He asked. They responded that it wasn’t for a good work, but for His claim of being One with God.
Today’s lesson serves to make the case that Jesus is equal and One with God. Jesus makes His case by the works He did. On this occasion, a man was brought to Jesus who was crippled and couldn’t walk.
There was a large crowd standing by. So much so that this particular man was lowered down from the roof in order to get to Jesus by four others. The bible said the man’s condition was called palsy.
Palsy is characterized by extreme loss of the power of motion dependent on some affection either of the motor centers of the brain or of the spinal cord. It is always serious, usually intractable, and generally sudden in onset. It is a crippling disease.
The bibles said Jesus saw their faith. Their faith was visible because both the paralyzed man and those who broke up the roof to lower him to Jesus believed that Jesus was able to help him. Jesus’s response to their faith was another opportunity for Jesus to establish His claim as the Son of God.
First, He said to the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven. Those in the crowd who heard Him say that were offended because Jesus said and claimed to something that only God had the proper right or authority to do. Jesus took the opportunity to link His claim, namely to do something only God could do making Him equal with God, with His works.
When the tension was established, Jesus then proceeded to relieve the tension by linking His claim to His works. He asked those who questioned His claim in essence, what is the difference between saying a man’s sin is forgiven or saying to a paralyzed man rise, take up his bed and walk.
Jesus told the man to rise, take up his bed and walk to make His point and heal the man. Some may say that Jesus took an awful chance. Suppose the man didn’t get up? How would that have impacted His claim? But Jesus was confident in who He is and the power of His word.
The gospel of John closes by citing that there were many other miraculous things Jesus did that are not written in the gospel but the ones that are written are so that we may know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Today, mankind may possess the medical knowledge to heal a person in a similar condition as the man Jesus healed but not in the same manner. Because we don’t know how to do something doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Jesus knew and still knows something the rest of mankind still doesn’t know. And what is that? How to say to someone who is sick with any disease, be healed, and they shall recover.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday. Invite someone to come and share your thoughts with the class. Sunday School at Flag Branch will begin at 9:00 am and you are invited to join us at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
You and others can also join us by dialing 508 924-2490. If you have any comments or questions before then, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview and I will get back to you. So, as always remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
