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THE KING’S BUSINESS Jesus Forgiving Sin JANUARY 27, 1918. TESSON IV. Mark 2 :1-12. Parallel passages: Matt. 9:1-8' Luke 5:17-26. G olden T ext - “The Son o f Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”—Mark 2:10.
LESSON EXPOSITION
Lesson connection: The grateful leper, whose healing was the closing incident in our last leáson, by disobeying our Lord’s command not to advertise his healing, aroused such a crowd ,of curiosity seekers that He had to leave the cifies for some weeks, perhaps months,-and this time was probably spent on a preaching tour through Galilee. When the excitement had died down somewhat He returned to Capernaum, where the incident in today’s lesson occurred. I. The Helpless Sufferer. The man was palsied—a paralytic. From what follows it seems probable his sickness was brought on by his own sins. Fast liv ing often ends in slow dying. The man once healthy and happy becomes sick and sorry. The hours o f helpless inactivity and suffering afford the time for sober thought which light-hearted (and light-headed) gaiety had denied. Neither regrets for the .past nor resolutions for the future cóuld change the present. The man was helpless —was he also hopeless? The will could not aid—could the heart? His realization o f his helplessness w as, the most hopeful thing about him. No use to look in—but he could look out. This sense o f helpless ness must always precede forgiveness. It is the “I perish” that gives birth to the “Lord save.” II. The Loyal Friends. ' The four may have been friends in frolic, but not very likely. Sometimes, but not always, such friends last beyond the pleas ures o f life. But if they had been, they were now sobered and thoughtful; perhaps becoming,so through his suffering and their own escape. What Jesus had done in Caper naum that memorable Sabbath day had impressed them. Had their friend’s sick ness come on in the meantime. or had he been brought home sick from some other
city? Their sympathy and faith work together in their friend’s behalf. The two are useless separated. Faint hope, fanned by their enthusiastic, sympathetic faith bursts into faith also. Obstacles at the home were overcome, and the helpless man helped by his friends, started toward? heal ing. A crowd o f curiosity seekers blocked the way o f an earnest man in deepest need. They were well, physically, but so inter ested they had no .sympathy for the suf ferer—or at least,,so little they would not make way for him. Earnestness always finds a way or makes one. The door was blocked, so they did a new thing—made way for their friend through the roof. Awfully rude to interrupt the service, to inconvenience .the self-satisfied religionists, and wrong to destroy the man’s ro o f! The man’s need is the all-sufficient argument. The loyal friends could not cure the man, but they could bring him to One who could. And they did-it in spite o f obstacles. They gave time and strength and risked becoming unpopular through making well- meaning, but selfish folks uncomfortable. But they brought him to JesuS. III. The Loving Saviour. Some teachers would have been upset by such an interruption, and so would some classes. “Bring decent, respectable, well- dressed fellows to the class if you wish, but don’t bring that rough, tough, half drunk chap in here.” “Take him to the mission if you wish. That’s the place for him.” This man’s need was his greatest plea with Jesus. There were interested listen ers around, but this man had more than interest, he had FA ITH . And as Jesus looked from him up to the hole in the roof He saw four other faces peering down with the earnest look o f FA ITH . It cheered His heart. The onlooker sees the symptoms
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