Today we see what happens when another sort of energy builds up and goes down through the roof. Read Mark 2:1-12.

Jesus has returned to Capernaum. He has been calling His first disciples. He has also been on what we would call today, a preaching tour. The news of Jesus’ teachings and miracles has spread all through Galilee. Now He finally returns to the town where He began His ministry. He returns to his second home.

As I said, Jesus’ reputation as a teacher precedes Him. Word has gotten around that this new Teacher is in residence. The house is full to over flowing. By the way, this particular home is thought to be the home of Jesus’ disciples Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. While Peter and Andrew’s home is quite probably a fairly large house, it still is not a huge mansion. But with the crowds the house must feel smaller by the minute. Among those who have come to hear Jesus are Pharisees and a group of Scribes or teachers of the Law. They no doubt have front row seats, inside, out of the sun, right in front of Jesus. They also have heard rumors about this new teacher. He causes quite a stir. This group comes to test Him in person. Others come from “every village in Galilee, from Judea and from Jerusalem.” Crowding into Peter’s house. “So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door” (Mark 2:2).

Just the sheer number of people in a closed area would cause a bit of tension. But to have the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, right down in front - the seats of honor....well, this feels a something like the ordination examination on the floor of Presbytery or the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry.

For those of you who might not know, Presbytery consists of pastors and elders from several churches in a given geographical area that come together for business and for support and worship. Santa Barbara Presbytery is what we belong to. When a person feels called to the ordained ministry of word and sacrament, there are steps or phases to go through. Our very own Bil Thompson is currently in the Inquirer stage. He will soon be going to the next stage as a candidate. Eventually Bil will appear before the entire Presbytery. The pastors and elders will be allowed to ask any question of theology, from his statement of faith, or personal issues, they want, to help determine readiness for ordination.

If you want to see Presbytery in action, it will be held here at Moorpark Saturday, September 27. The good thing about Santa Barbara Presbytery, and most presbyteries. is that while the elders and pastors are to test the candidates for Word and Sacrament in the ordination process, they truly do want the candidates to succeed. But the Pharisees and Scribes who are present at Peter and Andrew’s home have a different attitude about them than Santa Barbara Presbytery. There is an eagerness to find something wrong with this young rabbi. There is a sense, even here at the beginning of Jesus’s public ministry, of “being out to get” this new preacher.

And speaking of preaching, there is a line at the end of verse 2 that I think often gets passed over in this passage. The line is, “...and He was speaking the Word to them.” Probably for the most past people had not gathered for the purpose of healing. Some might have. They certainly did not gather to observe someone be forgiven. That was the last thing on their mind. We do know the Pharisees and Scribes came to test Jesus. But Jesus’ purpose is to speak the Word to them.

Jesus was preaching the Word of God to all those gathered. We are reminded here the ministry of Jesus Christ was to preach the Word of God. That was the purpose of His ministry. That is the reason some people are crowded into Peter’s home. People then and now really do want to hear the Word of God.

And sometimes when people gather for events and even worship, things happen. It was the same when Jesus preached. Right in the midst of Jesus’ sermon, there is a slight disturbance. Jesus doesn’t lose His train of thought. I would imagine He might be curious as to the movement at the side windows and then at the back. People turn, frown and turn back to give their attention once again as Jesus continues. Then a bit of dust filters down from the ceiling. Now pieces of dirt and twigs begin to fall - right on the heads of the Pharisees and Scribes. Honored seats, right! Then the sun shines through the roof. Whispered and frustrated voices are heard above. Everyone in the house looks up. Jesus stops preaching. People beyond the doors and windows ask, “What is going on? Tell Jesus to speak up. I can’t hear what He’s saying.”

Back inside, a blanket-type stretcher is being lowered down through the roof by ropes or poles. Hole in the roof - wait! This is Peter’s house. Can’t you just see volatile Peter getting angry and red in face and about to blow up? Well, the good thing is, this story is not about Peter.

Anyway, on the mat being gently lowered in a man. Jesus can tell that the man is not diseased or ill with a fever. He knows the man is paralyzed. We are not told how this man comes to be paralyzed. Maybe he came through another roof at an earlier time at a greater speed? We don’t know. However, we can gather that he is cared for by his four friends. These four, and perhaps the paralyzed man himself, must have a great deal of faith in Jesus. If the four were casual acquaintances or did not have faith, perhaps they might have given up at the mere sight of so many people. Perhaps they would turned away after the first elbow rebuff. But not these four. They hang tight. They continue to carry their friend around to the different open windows, then to the door. And finally they haul and lift this man up the outside stairwell or ladder. They gently lay him on the roof.

Now their real work begins! We are not told the type of roof this house has. But the typical roof of that day consisted of timbers laid parallel to each other about two or three feet apart. Sticks were closely laid crosswise upon the timbers. Then the structure was padded with reeds, thistles, and twigs. The whole thing was overlaid with about a foot of earth, which was packed down to minimize leakage in the rainy season. When all was done, the roof was about two feet thick. Just imagine, during spring, grass flourished on these primitive roofs. The paralytic’s friends have their work cut out for them. They do not stop until their mission is accomplished. Their love and their faith overcome daunting obstacles. They are not put off by the unyielding crowd. They ignore the judgments and rebuffs of those around them. They even vandalize another person’s property to achieve their goal.

The love, and faith, of his friends is the first reason this man is about to the experience Jesus Christ. This is how it was and is with God, too. For God so loved the world that He made the ultimate sacrifice for us (John 3:16). God dug, so to speak, through the roof of the world and lowered His Son down. This was so Jesus could die for our sins. God loves you and me that much!

And here is Jesus, watching, taking it all in. Is that just a hint of a smile on Jesus’ face as He watches the Pharisees and Scribes shake their fists and shake their robes? We will never know the content of Jesus’ original Word He was preaching that day. What we do know is that Jesus is touched by the faith of the four, and possibly the paralytic himself. Jesus thinks quickly on His feet and gets right down to business.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly - Jesus declares this man’s sins are forgiven. He says and does nothing about this man’s desperate physical condition. Surprisingly, because forgiveness is not why he and his friends went to all that trouble to get to Jesus in the first place. Not surprising, because you and I know that Jesus was, is and will always be, more concerned for our spiritual health. Jesus always treats the central and vital cause which keeps us from life in Him.

Now this is not to discount the fact that there are illnesses - even paralysis associated with emotional distress. When we deal with those distresses, emotions and/or the giving and receiving of forgiveness, this can get rid of the sickness. The medical term would be psychosomatic. Webster says this means, “of or pertaining to a physical disorder that is caused or notably influenced by emotional factors; pertaining to or involving both the mind and the body.” But even if our physical bodies remain paralyzed, diseased, crippled, shriveled, and aged...our greater need will always be the forgiveness of our sins. As a commentator states: “What folly to obtain bodily wholeness, only to go to eternity without Christ. Forgiveness was a far greater work, for it cost Jesus His life. Jesus meets the greatest need first, and forever.” That is what Jesus did for the man brought to Him through the roof. That is what He does for you and me today.

And do you know the ones who were truly paralyzed that day? They are the Pharisees and Scribes, the teachers of the Law. They are the religious leaders and as such are charged with the care of their people. They are the ones who should have cleared the way to Jesus. At the very least they should have been the ones to reach up and help. Instead they just “sit there”, criticizing, judging. They show neither love nor faith.

And...in their hearts they silently accuse Jesus of blasphemy. They know they, the religious leaders, could not forgive sins, and certainly could not heal a person. They know only God can forgive sin. So silently they sit there. Silently they plan their attack on Jesus. And Jesus knows this. Just like Jesus knows our silent thoughts.

And Jesus meets their silent judgment with a challenge. He asks them whether it is easier for Him to tell the paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven or to command the man to pick up his stretcher and walk. In other words, Jesus implies that instead of publically forgiving the man, He could have simply cured him.

Then to emphasize His point and to demonstrate that He, Jesus, as the Son of Man, actually does have the power and authority to forgive sin, in mid-sentence, Jesus turns to the paralyzed man and says to him, “I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go to your home.”

Everyone is astonished! They are astonished as this man...gets up, picks up his stretcher, and proceeds to walk right through the crowd that blocked his entrance just a little earlier. I would imagine they were all ready to go through the roof, in one way or another.

I know there are times, at one point or another that we have wanted to go through the roof for other reasons. We have been on the verge of quitting. Some of you might feel that way right now. You are down for the count and lying on a stretcher. You might be experiencing a crisis that you think you cannot get through - on your own. Are you wondering if there is somebody who will grab a corner of your stretcher and bring you to Jesus? There are those right here within this community of faith. The Board of Deacons certainly bear you on that stretcher. . Their love and faith in Jesus is shown in their love of you through their prayers, their phone calls of connecting, their care and concern. And you know it is not just those who serve in the role of deacons who are part of the stretcher ministry. Many others of you call Dave and me - with your permission - and bring people and situations to our attention for prayer and support and possible action. In our Tuesday night prayer meeting we bring this entire church to the Lord in prayer. In this and many other ways we are all able to go through the roof spiritually and put the person, situation, illness, or paralysis right where it belongs...at Jesus feet, and in His capable hands. As I said the illness, or physical pain or paralysis might still exist. But our faith, trust and hope in Christ will increase.

It was the faith of these friends that touched Jesus and moved Him to action. So, who is it that Jesus wants you to go through the roof for Him? Who is Jesus wanting you to witness to; to share your faith in order to bring that one to Him? For whom is Jesus asking you to pray? Intercessory prayer is not “just asking God to do something.” You are not just sitting there. You are the one whose faith and action are at work. I encourage all of us to take seriously the Children’s Sermon that Kristin brought to us. Grab a corner of that stretcher and bring the person or situation to the Lord on a stretcher of prayer. Dig through the roof of pain, anguish and confusion. Lay it all at the feet of Jesus Christ, through prayer.

When we bring ourselves and our friends to Jesus on those prayer stretchers, and we do not strop until our mission is accomplished, we are part of the miracle process. And in this we give God the glory - right through the roof.