“Take Up Your Couch” – MARK 2:1-12

Coming to Jesus had an entirely different connotation during this special time in human history. Jesus commended these men and the paralytic they carried and lowered into His presence (2:5) for their faith. If the end of our faith is eternal salvation in heaven, then the beginning of our faith is a belief that causes a change of mind … a decision (“repentance”). Sadly, for many people this beginning is also the end, for it goes no further. The faith that Jesus praises in these men was a faith that picked up a feeble man and carried him a distance. Not only that, but this faith was confronted with an obstacle of accessibility (the crowd and the house) and determined ingenuity overcame it. The final strain of lowering this man into the presence of Jesus placed them in full submission to Him, with nothing more to do. They had done their part for now. In their actions, they confessed the power of Jesus to take control and act on their behalf to accomplish what they could not.

A simple, trusting faith that moves people to come to Jesus places souls in His path and under His lordship is the precious faith that Peter weaves throughout his writings. In the presence of Jesus, sins are forgiven. Take a moment to soak that in. The scribes in this home “reasoned in their hearts” that only God can forgive sins so Jesus’ words were both empty and blasphemous. These men were nearby to Jesus, but were never truly in His presence because they did not believe. It was never true that Jesus could not forgive them merely that they never came to Him in faith. Why did they not believe when Jesus read their hearts? I think that would have had a profound impact, but sadly it apparently did not. Uttering the words was easy (2:9) as Jesus knew. So, He healed the man as proof of His divinity – thereby offering proof that He could forgive sin. We are not told of the reaction of these particular scribes, but as a class of men, they later conspired to put Jesus to death.

Let’s go back to the paralytic man. His living and active faith has brought him into the presence of Jesus, trusting that Jesus will do His part. This was a pivotal moment in the history of God and mankind, for God had become a man so that men would come to Him in faith that their sins could be forgiven. Wanting a physical blessing because he did not know of God’s intended spiritual blessing, the paralyzed man received both. Notice, however, that the blessing bestowed by Jesus placed the burden of faith back upon this man. Jesus instructed him, “Arise and take up your couch and walk” (2:9, 11). Renewed and refreshed by the healing power of Jesus Christ, faith is challenged to get up and go (the enduring faith of 1 Peter 1:5-9). Jesus takes control of those who come to Him in faith and then, arising from the cleansing of sins in baptism, we must live by faith in Jesus Christ … arise and walk.

What sense would it make for the man to say, “Thanks, Jesus, but I think I’ll just lie here”?

While this scene in the drama of Jesus’ public ministry on earth provides a valuable illustration and wonderful insight into the conversion of a sinner into a saint, we also find another nugget of truth that must be understood. The forgiveness of sins by Jesus while He was on earth (2:10) was absolutely within His power and His prerogative, and the gospels record this power even while He was on the cross. The saving gospel of Jesus is the “new” covenant (Hebrews 9:16-17) that required Jesus death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). While on earth Jesus forgave sins under the OLD covenant as He saw fit for those who came to Him. Now that He has ascended to the Father, the new covenant is in effect and Jesus forgives sins for those who come to Him in faith as He instructed. An active faith moves the mind (“repentance”) and the life (“confession/submission to His lordship”) into the presence of Jesus (“death to sin and self”) where He washes us (“baptism” is a “burial”) and commands us to arise and walk (“faithful unto death”).

This will all be shown not only in the teachings of Christ, but in the actions of Peter and the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus.

As for today, if you are already at the feet of Jesus and forgiven of sins … where is your couch?