Mark 2:1–12 (NLT)

¹ When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. ² Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, ³ four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. ⁴ They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

⁵ Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ⁷ “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

⁸ Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? ⁹ Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? ¹⁰ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,

¹¹ “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

¹² And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

1. The Faith of Our Friends.

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 (NLT)

Creative. Crazy. Collaborative.

2. The Authority of the Son of Man.

“the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins”

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14 (NLT)

Then the high priest [Caiaphas] asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” ⁶² Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Mark 14:61–62 (NLT)

“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, ² and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship

other gods’—gods you have not known before— ³ do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 13:1–3 (NLT)

Teaching. Healing. Casting out evil spirits. Forgiveness.

3. The Healing Community of Jesus.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Surely this is the most exciting hope of Christian ministry: to be an instrument of the Spirit’s up building of a community that, by the very quality of its life together, signals ultimate hope to the world. Richard J. Newhaus, Freedom for Ministry.

Restoration. Forgiveness. Redemption.

Establishing and nurturing a relationship with God through Jesus.

God, thank you for showing yourself to me. Jesus, I turn to you, admit I need you, and ask you to enter my heart by faith. By your Spirit, restore my heart with your forgiveness; help me to hear your voice and know your love. Gather me with others to worship and serve you; to nurture our faith and shine your light in the world. Thank you for calling me your child. Amen.

For next week: Read and journal on Mark 3. Follow the format of Observation, Reflection and Prayer as outlined on the Come With Me card and using your Mark journal. Download the Filament App for Mark as you study the passage in your time alone with God each day. Mark as you study the passage in your time alone with God each day. 

REFLECT TOGETHER ON SUNDAY’S MESSAGE 

• Review the main points from the sermon outline.
• Share with one another as a whole group or in smaller groups: 
• What are your observations, questions, or take-aways?
• What has impacted you the most from Mark 2:1-12? 
• How does Mark Mark 2:1-12 shift, challenge, or equip me to participate in God’s mission in the world? 

CONNECT WITH GOD (Select one of the below practices or choose the practice from the previous week.) 

• Breath Prayer (5 minutes): This is an ancient practice that invites us to slow down and awaken ourselves—even our breath—to the presence of God. It is an invitation to remember that God is closer to us than even our own breath! This week you are invited to use the phrase: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” As you focus on breathing in and out, allow the words to flow from inward breath to outward breath. 
• Inhale: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.”
• Exhale: “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” 

Continue on for a few minutes at a slowed pace, making space for a growing awareness of God’s Holy Spirit. 

• Listening to God (5 minutes) 

Alone: In a posture of stillness and openness, come to God with the intention to listen. Cultivate a posture of unhurried stillness as you prepare your body, mind, and spirit to be attentive to God’s voice. Consider praying: “Lord, I am here. Quiet the noises and voices around me. Teach me to listen for You.” 

While you pray: listen and wait. Then, if it makes sense for you, jot down any themes of images that come to your mind. 

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE (15-20 minutes)(As a reminder: this is the Bible passage for the message on February 4th) 

• Read: Mark 3:1-19
• Use the “Come with Me” card, along with your Mark Bible Journal to engage with the Scripture passage for the coming week. 
• Observe: Dig into the scripture through doodling, highlighting, note-taking. Pay attention to words or phrases that seem important or raise questions for you. 
• Meditate: Slow down. Read Mark 3:1-19 again and engage your imagination and senses to connect to the passage. Reflect on your experience in your journal. 
• Pray: What prayer of praise, gratitude, or confession arises from your heart and mind as you meditate on this passage? 

• Reflect together (in pairs): Spend time in intentional conversation about your reflections in Mark 3:1-19. 
• What words, phrases, or images stand out to you?
• What are you learning about what it means to follow Jesus through this passage? 
• What questions do you have? 

DIG DEEPER (Select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.)

• What do you think might be significant about Jesus’ act of healing on the Sabbath? 
• How did Jesus respond to the man with the deformed hand and what is his response to his “critics” (v. 3-6)?
• Why do you think the Pharisees and ‘critics’ responded this way?
• What do you notice about the news of Jesus’ miracles? 
• How does Jesus respond to the unclean spirits in verses 9-12? 
• What do you notice about Mark 3:13-19 when Jesus appoints
• twelve apostles? 
• Why is it important that Jesus ‘sends’ his disciples, and what does this teach you about the kingdom of God in the world? 

NEXT STEPS 

• Read Mark 3 by February 4th. 
• Observe. Meditate. Pray. 
• Engage with the stories of Jesus in Mark 3. 
• How do the themes of healing, forgiveness, authority, and welcome apply to your own life today? 
• How will you wrestle with Mark 3 this week? 

PRAYER 

Just as Jesus calls his disciples and forms a community, he also sends them. Pray for one another as you seek God’s call on your life–in whatever life phase or context you each find yourselves. Pray that together you remain committed to seeking God’s will and being the body of Christ in the world.