The Healing of the Paralytic, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: Jesus returns to Capernaum, His base of operations, and preaches in a crowded house, with people thronging even the doorway. Luke's parallel account reveals that a significant…

Martin uses the British idiom 'in hospital' to explain the phrase 'in house' for Jesus, clarifying that it means He had taken up residence, not necessarily His own personal dwelling.

In the parallel passage in Matthew 9, Matthew calls Capernaum Jesus' own city. And Capernaum, as we discovered in previous studies, was now the base of our Lord's operation. When he returns to Capernaum, he is found in house. Like our English friends say, so-and-so is in hospital.

15:10 - 15:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Jesus returns to Capernaum, His base of operations, and preaches in a crowded house, with people thronging even the doorway. Luke's parallel account reveals that a significant…

Martin contrasts a first-century Palestinian house with modern Cape Cod, split-level, ranch, or brownstone homes to help listeners correctly visualize the setting and understand how the roof could be uncovered.

All we need to remember is this. When it says he was in the house, it does not mean he was in a dwelling that is like a Cape Cod, a split or bi-level or ranch home of the 20th century in suburbia. Or we need to understand it was not even anything like a row house, or an old brownstone in an old inner city dwelling. It was a house in Palestine in the first century.

17:00 - 17:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Four men carry a paralyzed man on a pallet, determined to bring him to Jesus for healing. Unable to enter through the crowded door, they ascend to the flat roof, remove its…

Martin clarifies that the 'bed' the paralytic was carried on was not a substantial modern bed, but more like a foam mattress for camping or layers of quilts, making the act of carrying and lowering him more understandable.

And again, not upon a bed as we know a bed. Something very substantial with a box spring and a mattress on top. But it would be more like the little foam mattress that some of you put under your sleeping bag when you go camping. Something that would, it would be more like a few layers of quilts sewed together.

21:05 - 21:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Four men carry a paralyzed man on a pallet, determined to bring him to Jesus for healing. Unable to enter through the crowded door, they ascend to the flat roof, remove its…

Martin asks the congregation to imagine a commotion and dust falling from the ceiling during his sermon, illustrating how distracting and attention-grabbing the paralytic's descent from the roof must have been.

Now, if you were here this morning, most of you are looking at me while I'm preaching. And all of a sudden, while I'm preaching and you're trying to pay attention to me as I'm speaking the Word, you heard some commotion right up in this area. Some rattling, some scraping. And then you began to see some dust fall down through.

24:08 - 24:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The paralytic immediately obeys, rising, taking his pallet, and walking out before everyone. The crowd is amazed, filled with wonder, and glorifies God, acknowledging they've…

Martin uses the example of preachers' jealousy when compared negatively to others to illustrate the scribes' and Pharisees' animosity towards Jesus, who preached with authority unlike them.

Remember earlier in Mark, people were making a contrast saying, We've never heard preaching like this before. He preaches with authority! Not like our scribes and our Pharisees. You see, one thing preachers can't stand is to be compared with other preachers, especially when the comparison is negative.

41:58 - 42:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Stop playing church business and recognize that Jesus Christ hears the reasonings of your heart.

Martin challenges listeners to consider if they are merely putting on a religious facade, reminding them that Jesus sees their hidden, cynical, or worldly thoughts, just as He saw the scribes' reasonings.

But Jesus saw the foul, wretched, cynical, unbelieving disposition of the heart. And my friend, He sees your heart this morning. You may be sitting there, looking at me, looking ever so religious, ever so pious, ever so orthodox, and God, your rotten head, sitting there saying, what's that guy up there getting red-faced about and hollering inside? What's this, a big religious charade?

48:32 - 49:06 Read in full sermon