Overcoming Obstacles

“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”; or to say, “Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.’ 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’” (Mark 2:1–12, NASB).

Introduction

We may find it easy to write this story off as just another account about Jesus healing a sick person. However, this account presents the early stages of a controversy that permeates all four Gospels: the hostility Jesus encountered from religious leaders who saw Jesus as a threat to their influence and an opponent of “truth,” as they understood it.

Perhaps we can see it as a story about obstacles and the will to overcome them. The lame man faced many obstacles to his healing but was able to walk out at the end of the story. The scribes cherished obstacles in their hearts against Jesus and left the synagogue unchanged.

As with so many stories in the Gospels, we can see a picture of ourselves here. Each of us faces obstacles in our lives. We can cower in defeat and hope someone will just carry us home, or we can rise up and walk—changed, healed, delivered, restored. The obstacles may be within us or outside of us; of our own making or thrust upon us by circumstances. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we can learn something from this lesson.

Obstacle # 1: Lack of abilities

The paralytic had plenty of obstacles to his healing. From our perspective, he had every reason to give up hope of receiving healing.

For starters, he had an obvious obstacle: His own abilities. Quite simply, the poor guy could not go see this miracle-working prophet on his own. He may have heard about miracles Jesus had performed earlier in his ministry. He may have believed Jesus was capable of healing quadriplegics. However, he could not see Jesus on his own.

We may feel that our abilities hold us back from the blessing God has for us. “I can’t study the Bible…it’s too confusing. I can’t pronounce all those funny names! God cannot give me what I just prayed for. I’m not smart enough, talented enough, good-looking enough, or tall enough to make it happen.”

God is not handicapped by our ability or lack thereof. A couple years ago, I read an article about a man named D. L. Moody, one of the greatest preachers in the US during the nineteenth century. Apparently, the man had a serious speech impediment. It was difficult to listen to him talk! However, he had a great zeal to lead people to Christ. Several pastors told him to give up. His eagerness to serve God could not be stopped, though. At one point he concluded that the world had not yet seen what God would do through a heart that was completely devoted to Him, and Moody decided he wanted to be the one to find out what would happen! He would be that man who would show the world what God could do. Eventually, God removed the speech impediment and empowered him to speak. It was not Moody’s talent that made a difference. It was God working through a heart that was completely devoted to him.

God will remove the obstacles if we ask Him to. First Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) tells us that “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Mark 11:23 (NASB) says “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.” It may be temptation or some other trial in our lives. No matter the circumstance, God is able and willing to provide a way of escape. He gladly offers a solution to those who bring their problems to Him.

This paralytic’s way of escape was four friends. For all we know, the whole episode could have been their idea. Maybe they knew their friend wanted healing and decided to drag him to meet Jesus. At any rate, they knew he was not able to meet Jesus on his own. He needed their help.

We should never underestimate the way God may use people in our lives. In my experience, Gos uses otherpeople to answer most prayers. During my first year in seminary, I went several months without a job and reached a point where I had no money left. One morning, I pleaded with God to send money. After one of my classes, a friend of mine approached me and said, “Can I speak to you in private?” “Sure. What’s up?” I replied. We stepped into another room for privacy. Then, he reached into his pocket and handed me some cash. My friend told me he had prayed for me that morning, and he felt like God wanted him to give me this money. It was not much; but, it provided food for the day, I was able to fill my car’s gas tank, and I was able to go out and find myself a job. God used this brother to provide the blessing I needed right at that time.

Obstacle # 2: The Crowd

Let us return to the story in Mark. These four guys headed out to bring their friend to Jesus, carrying him—still lying on his mattress—through the streets of Capernaum to the house where Jesus was staying. They would let nothing stop them from bringing their friend to meet Jesus!

It was not going to be easy. They did not have an appointment. By the time they arrived at the house, it was surrounded by a crowd. Everybody wanted to hear Jesus teach. The house was packed to capacity, and many people stood outside listening.

The crowd did not part to allow the men to carry their friend in. Maybe they were enjoying the parables too much. They may have liked divine healing as a concept, but paralytics were pretty far down the social ladder. The crowd probably did not think this guy was important enough to interrupt Jesus.

The crowd can be a hindrance to us as well. To be honest, following Jesus means going against the crowd. There is a classic hymn entitled “I Surrender All.” Our culture teaches us to say, “I Deserve All.” TV commercials have told us to “Go for the gusto. Have it your way. You deserve the very best.” Even the military, an institution built around teamwork, recruits with advertising that appeals to our self-centered nature, using the slogan, “An Army of One.” “I Surrender All” may sound good as a song in church, but few of us are willing to take it as a personal lifestyle philosophy.

The crowd tells us to fit in. It tells us to go with the flow. It tells us to base our values on the latest Gallup Poll, not on the teachings of a man who lived 2000 years ago. The crowd says, “If it feels good, do it.”

Even some who profess to be Christians may hold you back. They may claim to follow Jesus, but they are not willing to get too committed. They may encourage you to stop being so “legalistic” or radical about following Jesus. Yes, even other Christians may try to hold you down.

Obstacle # 3: The Roof

The paralytic‘s friends were not about to let a crowd hold them back. Along the side of most houses in ancient Israel, there was a ladder or staircase leading up to the roof. Jewish houses were not modern marvels. They were simple structures, maybe just high enough to ensure that nobody’s head scraped the ceiling. The roof would be pretty sturdy—you could relax up there, kind of like how we use porches and patios today—but it was a very temporary structure, made of wood and mud.

Once again, the paralytic‘s friends saw an obstacle as something that needed to be removed. The roof could be put back together later. Their friend needed to be “put together” as quickly as possible. They basically tore the roof apart to lower their friend down in front of Jesus. I guess this is the first time they “raised the roof” when a faith healer was in the service!

The paralytic’s four friends had seen quite a few obstacles, but they let nothing get in their way. Somehow, they wanted Jesus to see their friend. They wanted him healed. Jesus saw how they carried across, climbed around, and dug through every obstacle in sight. He saw this as faith in action. Because of that faith, He healed their friend.

Obstacle # 4: Ignorance of His Greatest Need

Perhaps another obstacle stood in the path of healing. This obstacle may have been within the paralytic. I suspect he was ignorant of his greatest need. He came seeking healing. He thought his biggest problem was physical—the fact that he could not walk.

Jesus saw a deeper spiritual need. Like all of us, this man was a sinner. The Bible tells us that, “[T]he wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NASB). It is true that this man needed a physical healing, but he needed a spiritual healing—forgiveness—as well. Jesus pronounced forgiveness before anything else.

Sometimes we pray for the wrong things, because we are ignorant of our deepest need. We may never admit to God that we need forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Or, we might not pray for our real need. Some people pray for a job, but really they need to be delivered from a fear of failure that keeps them from trying. A man might pray that God will give him a wife, but he really needs to learn how to give of himself to others first. Someone might pray for money, when they really need to learn how to stop wasting the money they already earn.

When all obstacles were removed, the paralytic was in a place where he could receive what God had for him. He came seeking healing. He received both healing and forgiveness. He stood up, picked up his mattress, and carried it home on his own. He also carried a new spiritual freedom within him.

Prejudices of the religious leaders

As I mentioned earlier, this story is not just about the paralytic’s healing. We also begin to see a conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. We can really be blessed when we see what God has done for others. If you hear how God answered a prayer, and you know it was humanly impossible, doesn’t it just light a flame of renewed faith in your heart? I hope it does. Some people cannot see a blessing because they set up deeply entrenched obstacles in their hearts.

The focus of the story shifts to the scribes. This was one of several groups of religious leaders in Judaism at the time. They were responsible for transcribing Scripture, reading it in synagogues, and expounding it to the people. They considered themselves to be the experts on the Word of God. Unfortunately, their knowledge, education, and traditions became obstacles between them and Jesus.

They were offended when Jesus told the man that he was forgiven. “Wait a minute! Only God can forgive sins. This guy is pretending to be God! He is committing blasphemy!”

Let’s keep in mind that a Jewish priest might occasionally declare that a person’s sins had been forgiven if he or she had offered the proper sacrifices. However, Jesus was not a Levitical priest; no lambs had been slain. The scribes did not see Jesus doing anything that conformed to their traditions or their understanding of Scripture.

Well, is it true, as the scribes said, that only God can forgive sins? Can you show me chapter and verse in the Bible that says that? I have not seen a verse yet that says that only God can forgive sins. Could it be that the scribes had read something into God’s Word that was not there?

Take a look, if you will, at Matthew 9:2–8. This passage tells the same story, but from a slightly different perspective. Specifically, let us look at Matthew 9:6: “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”

Now, look just two verses later, and see how Matthew observes a different aspect of this event: “But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (Matt. 9:8). God had not only given authority to forgive sins to the Son of Man, Jesus, but also to men—ordinary men and women who are children of God, acting on His authority, by the power and direction of His Spirit.

This is a deep truth. Most churches do not teach it. The Catholic Church recognizes this verse, but it teaches that only a priest can exercise this authority. Well, each of us can, if we submit to God. Stephen forgave the people who stoned him to death in the Book of Acts. Not one of those men will find that sin held against them on the Day of Judgment. Yes, they may suffer for other sins they have committed if they did not turn to Christ, but that one does not go on the account.

In fact, I will make this suggestion. I do not claim it is absolutely, 100 percent, the Word of God, but I am inclined to believe this is true: If we forgive the sins of others, exercising this authority, we remove obstacles from a person’s salvation. If we forgive others, the Holy Spirit may work harder at drawing them to salvation. We are saying, as children of God, “I want this person to go to heaven,” and God honors that prayer. If we do not forgive, we are telling the Holy Spirit, every angel in heaven, and every demon in hell, “I want this person to burn for all eternity.”

Let’s take it seriously. Let’s commit to forgiving everybody we can. Forgive the family member who has hurt you repeatedly and deeply. Forgive the annoying guy at work. Forgive the maniac on the parkway. Forgive those who mistreat you maliciously, and forgive those who are careless or clueless. Dispatch the angels of God to draw them to Jesus.

The scribes, Pharisees, and other leaders grew hostile to Jesus whenever He did not follow rabbinic tradition (what we now call the Talmud). They thought they knew God’s Word, but they really only had their own traditions in place.

It is so easy to cling to our traditions and pretend we have arrived at a full knowledge of Scripture. We need to be careful that we do not build obstacles in our minds and hearts that keep us from receiving what God has for us.

Do not let your knowledge get in the way. You might think you know the Word of God, but you can always learn. If you hear a minister giving a teaching you have never heard before: listen, take notes, and then go home and study some more. Maybe it is wrong. Maybe it is completely correct and you just learned something. Maybe it is partially correct and you can learn something even better. Do not think you are too smart.

Do not let education get in the way. Many Christians are willing to trust scientists more than God’s Word. For example, we have virtually educated ourselves out of believing in healing.

When I was in seminary (a Pentecostal seminary, that officially believed in divine healing, I might add), one of my professors spent several sessions teaching about divine healing. Well, actually, he spent two sessions running off a list of “biblical circumstances where God will not heal.” We learned so much of this “Why God May Not Heal” stuff that, during my last year in seminary, I confronted my philosophy class that only two of us really believed in divine healing. I honestly do not think I was far off in that assessment. If someone was sick, we would ask God to lead him to a good doctor or anoint the medication. We did not expect God to actually DO anything! Education closed our minds to what God was able to do for His people.

Do not let tradition get in the way. We sometimes expect God to do the same thing all the time. If He has not done it a certain way in our church before, we will not let Him do it now. “I’m sorry, you cannot prophesy in this church. We do not allow anyone to be a prophet until they join the church and take our new members’ class.” Guess what, folks? God is bigger than the universe…He is not about to be confined by your narrow perspective and shallow traditions. Let Him be God and you will see His power at work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, whenever Jesus acts, we have obstacles to overcome. Faith is the force that enables us to overcome. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

There is a conflict that occurs, a confrontation that takes place within us whenever God has an opportunity to move in our lives. That conflict is between our presuppositions and Jesus’ preeminence. He is bigger than your problem and your perspective. He sees the big picture. He can do above and beyond all you can ask or think. Let Him do it. Believe that He can do it. He can transform You. He can heal you. He can empower you. And, He will forgive you, if you will only ask Him into your heart.