Story of The Broken Roof

Today's Reading: Mark 2:1-5

	Overview-
	So here Jesus is preaching in a small house that is cramped for space and people are there each for their various reasons. Five men (one paralyzed) interrupt the meeting as they break through the roof to get the paralyzed man to Jesus as they no doubt have heard of the other paralytics healed by Jesus recently. Jesus doesn't heal him right away but rather declares his sin forgiven. Then, seemingly in response to the unspoken thoughts of the pharisees in the house, Jesus heals the man to evidence His authority to forgive sins. God is glorified greatly in this little home and there are numerous lessons that seem to be available here in this passage.
	Mark 2:1–5 (ESV) 2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” This passage seems to have two main parts that splits the lesson up between the five men and then the rest of the people there…on to the second part- Mark 2:6–12 (ESV) 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
	Observations and questions:
	Jesus taught from a house in this case. What does this teach about the time and place for ministry and serving God's kingdom? Many were gathered together and it included scribes. It seems that there are varied motives and desires among the people gathered around Jesus. Is there something taught here about what brings us to hear the Word of God or to consider Jesus and how are supposed to view Him that might be different than our initial concept of Him? Does it speak to our attitudes and our humility and our surrender to who He is rather than what we want? Some faithful friends carry a man in through the roof to get him before Jesus.  What does this teach about friendship and brotherhood? What does this teach about commitment and conviction and radical obedience? What does this teach about taking risk for the kingdom? What does this teach about trusting Jesus supremely? What does this teach about not wasting your life by pursing other things when Jesus is waiting? Jesus sees the faith of the group and declares the paralytic's sins forgiven without initially healing his body. What does this teach about one person's faith impacting another's? What does this teach about the power of fellowship and brotherhood? What does this teach about God acting based on the intercession of others? What does this teach about God answering prayer in unexpected ways? What does this teach about us seeing the body and the circumstances but God seeing the spirit and the real story? What does this teach about God working in our life to sanctify us and to make us into the likeness of His Son vs easing our suffering or changing our circumstances? What does this teach about the object of faith and it's importance even above the measure of faith or the understanding of God's intentions? The scribes sat and questioned in their hearts about Jesus' authority to forgive sins and how they thought Him to be blaspheming and claiming himself to possess authority belonging only to God.  What does this teach about how we tend to put God in our box of reasoning and limit Him? What does this teach about the importance of seeing Jesus for who He really is? What does this teach about the difference in hearing the Word and doing what it says as we consider the contrasting actions of the other men? How does the writer contrast the sitting and questioning against the breaking through the roof and doing? Jesus immediately knows their thoughts and motives and He challenges them to consider His authority and offers them direct evidence of it. What does this teach about Jesus' deity and His essence? To be continued later… More to come later today or maybe tomorrow- Soli Deo Gloria!