Invitation to Story
Mark 2:1-12
February 20, 2000
David Beckett, D.Min.

Everyone likes a good story, right? What is it that makes a good story? William R. White in his book, "Stories for Telling," writes about the search for true stories. "A true story must either help us to see the world as it is or show what it can become. True stories lift our vision for the future or enable us to create a world that is more caring and humane."

I would suggest then that true stories somehow cooperate with the desires of God. True stories show us how God wants us to live. True stories are stories that invite us as readers or hearers into the story. We identify with one of the characters and begin to feel what the character feels.

Now one can over-identify with a character as well as under-identify. A perfect example is the way my wife and I relate differently to stories. She can read a Guidepost story and be in tears in no time at all. In fact there are some TV commercials that can move her to tears in less than 60 seconds! I, on the other hand, can insulate myself from the power of a good story. I can quickly deduce where a story is headed. Then I consider whether I want to go down that road. If I don't want to give myself over to the story, I simply stop the story or I detach myself from the characters usually with sarcastic humor.

One of my concerns as a pastor is the way people approach the sacred story of scripture. On one hand there are those who over-identify with the biblical characters. They are quick to see themselves in the story. The problem here is that they may miss identifying with a character that would help them grow in their spiritual lives. In the story of Pilate interrogating Jesus how quickly would any of us be to identify with Pilate? But isn't there value in identifying with Pilate? Haven't we had times when we yielded to public pressure? Haven't we tried to whitewash a shameless act or word of ours?

Some people tend to under-identify with biblical stories. They rarely are able to see themselves in a Bible story. Sometimes it is our intellect that blocks us from participating in this way. We reason that a story must make sense on an intellectual level if we are to see ourselves in it. For example, some folks will never be able to see themselves in the story of Noah's Ark. They think that such a story is too unbelievable. How can they put themselves in a story that appears to be nothing more than a fabricated myth?

The problem with both extremes is that either side can insulate us from the power of the Holy Spirit. They can keep us from encountering the sacred. They can block us from being touched by the holy. I have known people who have so much knowledge about the biblical stories that this mental information gets in the way of their spiritual formation. I also have seen others who are unable to immerse themselves into a story because all of their questions are unanswered. There needs to be a balance whereby we can ask questions till the cows come home AND yield to the mystery of God in a story. There needs to be a movement between the two, a movement that stretches one way and then the other. There needs to be a movement where we stop ourselves from stretching so far that our faith breaks. There needs to be a healthy tension.

If anyone told true stories it was Jesus. He told parables and stories to help people see in their minds what God's kingdom was all about. Our relationship with God and the world isn't just about obeying a bunch of laws. God offers us a vision of a world where Love reigns. The stories of Jesus give us glimpses of this vision. True stories are those that help us to remove the blinders and see clearly.

People often forget that before the Bible was written it was told. Long before scribes began the long process of writing on scrolls the stories and sayings of scripture its stories were handed down from fathers and mothers to their children and grandchildren. What I would like to do today is tell you the story of the healing of the paralytic as recorded in the gospel of Mark. As you listen to this story I invite you to enter the story, not just with your head, but with your heart. Think about the parallels between this story and your life. With which characters do you most identify?

TELL STORY.

Now let’s take a look at the major characters in this story. First, there are the four friends. Have you ever felt such a love and compassion for someone that you were willing to do anything to help that person…even to risk embarrassment? Punching a hole in someone’s roof is not exactly an act of quiet reserve.

Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play Major League baseball. In his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled. Pitchers threw fastballs at his head. Runners spiked him on the bases, brutal insults were written on cards and spoken from the opposing dugouts. Even the home crowds in Brooklyn saw him as an object of ridicule. During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. To make matters worse Robinson committed an error and stood at second base humiliated while the fans hurled insults at him. Another Dodger, a Southern white man by the name Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, and with the crowds looking on, he put his arm around Robinson's shoulder. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

Such was the character of these four friends. They were willing to take a risk to bring their friend to Jesus.

Perhaps you could identify with the paralyzed man. Maybe you’ve been laid up in a hospital bed or sick at home, unable to move. Have you ever felt spiritually paralyzed? Ever felt that you couldn’t pray…couldn’t read the Bible….couldn’t reach out to God? The Bible says that we are to humble ourselves. Some of us have so much pride that we can’t humble ourselves. We need someone else to do it for us. How we get there is not important. It is important that we come to that place of humility where we can receive the grace to allow some friends to take us to Jesus. How well do you let a friend do something for you?

A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. The winning definition read: "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out." It’s a great definition but it leaves out one very important aspect. The person who receives the friendship must allow the friend to come into his or her life. I have a sense that the paralyzed man in Mark was quite willing to let his four friends carry him to Jesus. When you truly desire healing and wholeness you’ll risk just about everything.

Let’s take a look at the scribes. A scribe was a class of professional teachers in Judaism. They were revered as teachers of wisdom and Law. By the time of Jesus however some of the scribes had begun to feel a bit uppity and superior. They were keeping a suspicious eye on this young, upstart teacher from Nazareth, just waiting for him to slip up. And when Jesus told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven, they didn’t even have to say anything. Jesus knew their hearts.

Have you had the experience of having your secret thoughts exposed? Was it a painful experience? Perhaps part of you was even glad to have your secret out in the open. I’ll never forget the time when a good friend told me about how I would manipulate a meeting without coming across like a manipulator. I didn’t want to hear it. At that moment I was faced with a decision. Do I try to defend myself? Or do I acknowledge the truth in his statement. My response was dependent on how in touch I was with the truth in my inner life. At that moment I was able to agree with him, "Yeah, you’re right. I have been manipulating people." There have been many other times when I could not face the truth in my inner life and I reacted with anger and accusations. The important thing here is to live life from our spiritual center so we know our inner motives for what we say and do.

Finally, let’s look at the crowd as an important character in this story. What were they thinking when dried mud and sticks from the roof started falling on them? Can you imagine the indignation they must have felt as this man cut into their healing line? There were crowds of people who couldn’t even get inside! Who does this guy think he is?

The best story to illustrate this point is about the subway train in New York. A father and his three children entered a car with lots of people. The kids were wild, bumping into people, yelling. All the time the dad was just sitting there ignoring them. The irritation felt by many was obvious. Finally, a Christian man sitting next to the dad said, "Do you think you might be able to control your children a bit?" The dad looked up and said, "I’m sorry. We just came from the hospital where their mother died. I guess they don’t know how to react." Instantly, the people on that car changed the way they looked at those kids and this father. What was once irritation melted away and was replaced by sympathy and compassion.

When people act in inappropriate ways on the road or in the store or at work or home, maybe we could imagine a potential reason for their behavior. If nothing else, perhaps we could look beyond their behavior to that inner person who needs to be loved. When Jesus healed the paralyzes man the crowds were "amazed." They changed their attitudes about this intrusion. It was because of the healing power of Jesus.

What is inside your heart today? Do even know your hidden secrets and desires? What about our unfulfilled dreams? What about lives paralyzed by hurts and fears? What about our unforgiven sin? Christ is waiting to receive us. Yes, there will be obstacles in the way….crowds of people…a roof needing a hole with access to Jesus. It all depends on how deeply we know our inner heart and how deeply we want to be forgiven and healed. Do you want to be healed? Do you want the freedom that comes with forgiveness? Then go! Go to Jesus. In Him you will find your answer.