Hope: Sharing

Scripture Passage

Mark 2:1-12

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Sermon Script

In the Gospels, there are many healing stories. Jesus was known for performing acts of healing. Healing people with diseases, illnesses, disabilities, as well as those who were possessed by dark spirits. So many people wanted to see him because of this. They came asking Jesus to heal them, and Jesus did what they asked.

The story we read today from Mark is also a healing story. But there’s something different and unique about this story. The person who wants to be healed doesn’t come to Jesus on his own. He can’t, because of his condition. He is brought to Jesus by four other people.

Some men came, bringing to him [Jesus] a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.

Mark 2:3

We don’t know exactly what the relationship was between the man and the people who carried him. Were they strangers, or close friends? Mark doesn’t tell us. But it is moving to see these people helping the paralyzed man in this way. They go the extra mile for him.

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

Mark 2:4

The four men were determined to get the paralyzed man to Jesus. So helpful and dedicated. Not even the large crowd was going to prevent them.

I’m sure the paralyzed man wanted desperately to see Jesus and asked the four men to help him with that. But they were not obligated to go through all that difficulty for him. They could’ve just told the paralyzed man, “Sorry, but there are just too many people to get through.” What does this tell us?

The four men were just as HOPEFUL as the paralyzed man. In other words, they shared in his hope for a better life. For the paralyzed man, Jesus was everything. The four men also saw Jesus as the paralyzed man’s only hope. So, they decided to help him in any way possible. Even if it meant digging through the roof to get him through.

When we read the healing stories, we often find ourselves drawn to the outcome of the story. The miraculous result of Jesus’ healing. But we rarely pay attention to what leads up to the moment of healing and transformation. There is usually an unwavering hope. In today’s story, Jesus saw that in both the paralyzed man and the four men who brought him. It moved him to forgive and heal the paralyzed man.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:5

Hope is not some object that we possess. Hope isn’t necessarily something private we keep to ourselves. Hope isn’t individualistic. Hope is SHARED. When hope is shared, we become more connected with each other. We allow each other into our journeys. We acknowledge our own limits, but still roll up our sleeves and help each other in whatever way we can. When we see God bring healing and change in the other person’s life, we celebrate and rejoice together.

I shared last week that Advent is a season of waiting. We wait for the coming of Christ into this world, and into our lives. But we don’t wait alone. We wait for Christ’s coming TOGETHER. Even when times might be dark and uncertain, we can wait together because we share in each other’s hope.

In that sense, it was beautiful to have our special “Service of Repentance, Healing and Hope” last Sunday. I was so moved and touched by the worship we had. So many people came from different churches. We all gathered together because we shared the hope that we can move forward together to a new future of living together in diversity as ONE church of God. We worshiped with a repentant heart, but we also lifted each other’s spirits. We encouraged one another. God truly brought repentance, healing and hope in our midst.

That is the spirit of Advent. We share the hope we’ve received with one another. Hope which we received through the hearing of God’s word. We don’t go through Advent with the attitude of: “You live your life, I live mine.” Instead, we help each other remain hopeful and strong in the faith. Just like how the four men did for the paralyzed man.

I want to challenge you to practice one thing during this Advent season. Actually, there are two parts – but connected.

First, think about how you can HELP others. We may not be able to fix all their problems. But we can still help in small, concrete and meaningful ways. Even asking, “Is there anything I can pray for you?” is one. One of the things our church is doing this Christmas is handing out food baskets to our neighbouring community. There are many opportunities around you – all we need to do is look beyond ourselves.

Second, learn to ASK for help from others. We have a very difficult time doing this.We don’t want to seem weak and incapable.Don’t carry all the burden on your own.Share honestly and sincerely with someone else.When you share, you will reveal what you hope for.There is a reason why we say, “Sharing IS caring”.It allows us to care for one another.

There’s a book called “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”. I encourage you to read it. It’s a beautiful book. Like the title, it tells the story of a friendship between a boy and the mole, the fox, and the horse. They are all different in their own way, but they impact each other’s life in a positive way. At one point, the boy asks the horse, “When have you been at your strongest?” The horse answers, “When I have dared to show my weakness.” Then the horse says—

Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s refusing to give up.

Refusing to give up means you still have hope. Share that hope with one another. Journey together. God has blessed us with each other. See how God is at work in each other’s life. God will do something wonderful. The best we can do is be a supportive presence for one another.