Spectators or Participants

Text: ​Mark 2:1-12 When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And some people came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men. 4 And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!"


Questions to Consider:

1. How can your life personally be wide-open for the hurting to find Christ through you? 

2. What are things that are crowding your life right now and preventing you from ministering the way that God has called you to? What are things in your life that are crowding you and filling you up to where the hurting cannot come to you?

3. How can we have faith like these men? How do you grow in your faith? 

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When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. Mark 2:1 & 2 

Verse 2 of this passage tells us that there were so many people gathered together that there was no longer space or room near the door. The door had been blocked so that people who were in need could not get in. I am certain that this happened constantly in the life and ministry of Christ where large crowds were preventing people from getting the "front row seat" to be touched by Christ. But it also makes me wonder about how many people who desperately needed a touch from Christ were prevented from receiving one because of the large crowds of spectators. 
Now, before we proceed, let's keep in mind that the providence of God allowed for Jesus to minister to those that we read about today so that we can be edified, encouraged and challenged. And, we also know that there were numerous other things that Jesus did that were not recorded in scripture because, "all the books in the whole world could not contain them." So we have no idea the numbers of people Jesus ministered to, healed or cast demons out of. So, when we read scripture we can only take what we know based upon what has been recorded and we cannot create a theology based upon our assumptions. 
What we see in this passage is that there are crowds of people blocking the entry into the house where Jesus was ministering. This got me thinking of how the church operates today. Have we created a place where crowds of people come to spectate and hear about Jesus, but in doing so they prevent those who need a touch from Jesus from entering? Have we created cliques or has elitism taken root to where the hurting feel cast out in our midst? Are the doors of the church wide open without blockage?
When we look at these verses we see a man in desperate need of Christ; but the way in which he and his friends had to enter the house is more difficult than the normal person. Yet, in the end, Jesus acknowledges their faith above everyone else that was in attendance. This should not be the case today where it is difficult for the desperate to receive Christ on behalf of His people. Our churches should be wide open for the needy and restless to come and find peace under the preaching of the gospel and at the hand of the ministry of the saints. 
It is important for us to be reminded about what Jesus says in Matthew 25: 31-46 when He speaks about the last days judgement. Jesus explains that He will sit on His glorious throne and separate the sheep from the goats. He goes on to describe the goats in verses 41-46 as those who saw those who were hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked and in prison; and that did not provide anything for these groups of people. These are people who saw the need, but disregarded it to fulfill their own desires. These are the unbelievers that are intermingled with the believers. But, in verses 34-40 Jesus describes the opposite when describing His sheep. They did provide for the needs of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and in prison. But Jesus isn't speaking of His sheep providing for just men in need; Jesus says that when they did provided for these people-- they were providing it to Christ Himself.
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40
The revelation for us today is: Jesus is among the poor; and He is close to the broken. 
If we view ourselves as spectators of the kingdom instead of participants in the kingdom, then by default we will be blocking the way for people like these described to receive a touch from Christ. 
Let us be a people and a church where the doors of our lives are flung wide open for those who need Christ; so that they can come and find Him without hindrances or delays. Let us not get caught up in spectator mode where we forget that we are called to participate in the purposes of Christ.