Mark 2:1-121And 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. (Mark 2:1‑12)
There is much said and much done to get sinners to hear the gospel—some place posters on the walls, distribute thousands of bills, and many other expedients and efforts are tried. And these may be used and blessed to souls. We do not write to criticize these methods, but desire that our eyes may rest on Christ.
He entered Capernaum. There needed no bills to announce Him. No human agency need be set on foot. Indeed, like Paul at Philippi, it was after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And 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. And it will be found in the history of the work of the Holy Spirit, that it has been after this manner. Take the work in 1857-60, there was no need for bills, or efforts of that kind. It was noised abroad that the Lord was bringing souls to Himself, and the house was filled. A deep sense of His presence was felt. The difficulty. was in finding a place to hold the people. Sometimes two or three large buildings would be filled, and then others come in for a second service after, often until near midnight. At every meeting souls were saved for eternity.
We would not for a moment judge any evangelist using whatever means he feels led to use for winning souls to Christ, but let us not lose sight of our divine pattern. Is it not well to wait on Him, until it is noised that He is in the house? This is the character of the work in Egypt, and now in Mesopotamia, we have also just heard of a similar case in this country. As it was in Capernaum, so it is noised around that the Lord is in the house, and anxious souls are coming morning and evening. And the Lord is present to heal them.
If the reader is a Christian, may we ask why may it not be so in your house? It was a delightful sight the last summer to see two hundred come together in a christian farmer’s house, and the power of the Lord was present to meet every case. There had been no bills, but earnest invitations. And at this farm house, the next Lord’s day, “straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door.” We had to go into the open air, and the word was preached to them.
The next thing in this divine pattern is this: “And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.” Did you ever bring a sinner unto Him? It is one thing to bring a person to hear a favorite preacher; quite another thing to bring souls to Jesus. How soon man may take the place of the Lord Jesus in the house. We would esteem the servants of the Lord highly in love for their work’s sake, but the great thing is to come unto Him, bringing sin-sick souls. This man was perfectly helpless, “was borne of four,” and nothing could turn them from bringing him to Jesus. The press and crowd was great. It is so now. But do we know, unless the sinner is brought to Jesus Himself, he will be lost for all eternity? Those who came to Jesus were in earnest. Ο Lord, awake us from our indifference. “They let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” How many an unsaved soul has a bed on which he rests, it may even be the law, that can only curse him.
Oh, how great was their faith to let both the sick man, and that on which he lay, down to the feet of Jesus. How unlike this are the efforts of thousands in our day. See the vast machinery called Christendom; see multitudes of professed but mistaken servants of Christ j their great effort is to lift the sick and helpless sinner higher, a little higher, make him a little better, a little more sober, or a little more holy, and then we may have a shadow of a hope that Jesus will hear him. Not so our copy: no, the very opposite. Just as he was they let him down at the feet of Jesus. Ο religious teachers! would to God your eyes were opened to see the copy. Did Jesus spurn him and them away?
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” He did not tell those who brought him, to cure the sick man first, and then bring him to Him. He did not tell the sick man to get up and walk, or climb a little higher. He did not tell him to give his sinful heart to God, or to serve God, and then he might be brought to Him. No; just as he was they brought him to Jesus. They did not look to the sick man to improve himself even the least bit. Their faith was not in the sick man, but in Jesus. “And when Jesus saw their faith.” Ο ye preachers of England! does Jesus see your faith? Do you really believe Jesus receives sinners just as they are, utterly helpless? Do you bring the sick to Jesus, or do you do your utmost to hinder them from coming to Jesus just as they are?
Hearken to the preacher come from God, the Eternal Son, and the Son of man. He says: “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Reader, have you ever been brought to Jesus just as you were? Have you heard Him? Has He said to you, “Thy sins be forgiven thee?” What, all your sins? All the sins of youth, of middle age, or it may be of old age? All forgiven—never to be remembered again? Have you heard Jesus speak thus to you? Oh, have you?
I think I hear a reader say, Why this is contrary to all the religion of the world! Yes, that is true; it was so then. The very scribes of the religious Jews were astounded. And how many now would be filled with hatred at the truth of the unmerited grace seen in our copy. They would say, No, it is not enough to believe, there must be a walk-—a holy walk first—or work also. Jesus says, “Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether 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?” Now granted there must be a holy walk: but the question is just this: Are sins forgiven first in free grace? or is there to be a holy walk first, and then sins forgiven? Well, look at Jesus in this divine copy. Most surely forgiveness of sins comes first, and then rise up and walk.
Did Jesus tell this poor helpless man to walk first, though seeing he could not, and then promise him if he did He would forgive his sins? “He saith to the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” And immediately he did so.
How clearly the true gospel shines out in this divine picture, but the darkness comprehendeth it not. Some are so dark that they would tell you no man can know whether his sins are forgiven or not, and thus a poor soul so deceived will often say, I cannot believe. Oh, think of it. Do you say you cannot believe Jesus, simply because man says you can never know whether He speaks the truth? If you have never thus come to Jesus, God grant that you may come just now, and just as you are. You will find Him the same Jesus. He freely gives both forgiveness of sins and the Spirit’s power to walk.
C.S.