Breaking the Roof--A Sermonette for Preaching Class

My dad was on the other side of the door. That’s all I knew, and that’s all I cared about. I could see him through the glass, still in his uniform since he came straight from work to pick us up. Now, I didn’t know or care that the door was an emergency exit, or that setting off the alarm in an airport was a federal offense. All my eight-year-old brain cared about was that my dad, whom I had not seen in three months, was behind the emergency exit door, watching as we waited to process through customs as the Honolulu International Airport. So, when Mom let go of my hand for a second to fill out a form, I walked over to it, placed my hands on the push-bar, and walked through to Daddy.

Mom had to explain to security why I had done what I did, and I knew that I should be getting yelled at, maybe even getting a spanking, but she didn’t get mad at me at all. She knew what had driven me to open that door; she knew I wanted to be with my dad.

In our story today from the Gospel of Mark, we hear of a group of friends who overcome a different set of obstacles to reach their goal, a goal even purer than that of a young boy trying to reunite with his father.

Let us listen to this story of our faith.

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

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

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? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 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!”

Imagine it. Maybe one or all of them had witnessed Jesus at work the first time He came into Capernaum and preached and healed at the synagogue. Maybe one or all of them had been healed themselves. Whatever their reasoning, they knew that this man from Nazareth could grant healing and bring wholeness to those who needed it most. And so they stop at nothing to bring their friend who is suffering from paralysis before the One who can truly bring an end to his suffering.

Not even a roof could stop them.

Imagine the faith needed for this. Imagine the drive needed for this.

Imagine if our church had that same faith, that same drive.

Friends, the truth is that we are called to be like these four friends. We have a world out there full of family, friends, loved ones and strangers that are in need of the healing and wholeness that Jesus has to offer, a world full of people who are waiting to brought before our God.

And here is the unfortunate truth: much of the time, the door to Jesus is blocked. Sometimes it is blocked by societal structures. The culture of our time can be very hands off when it comes to religion, and the way to Jesus might not be socially acceptable. Sometimes it is blocked by skeletons in the closet. I know a friend who cannot hear the word evangelism without cringing because of his past encounters with those he calls the “Bible thumpers”. Sometimes it is blocked by our own fears of being rejected or criticized for our own faith. There are any number of reasons that crowd the door and block the way to bringing people before Jesus.

But that should never stop us. Like the four friends, we sometimes have to make our own way in the house if we want to bring someone before the Healer, because bringing others before Christ is worth overcoming any obstacle.

They brought their friend before Jesus to have him healed of a physical malady. Jesus ended up healing him of a much more debilitating illness. They were willing to tear open some guy’s roof in the presence of a crowd of witnesses and lower their buddy down on a mat. And yet it was all worth it in the end.

What are you willing to do to save someone’s life? Better yet, what aren’t you willing to do? What are the crowds before the door that you are not willing to overcome? What are the roofs you are not willing to tear open?

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid the price for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, we are made whole in the midst of our brokenness. Friends, this is a message worth sharing, worth anything to share. So may God break down the barriers in our hearts and minds that keep us from bringing Christ to the world around us. May we strive in everything we do to remember the gift of grace and healing found in Christ and may we see how vital it is to share this gift with any- and everyone we can. And when it seems like the door to Christ is too crowded, may God help us make a hole in the roof and lower our friends down.

Because it is more the worth the price we pay.

Amen.