"Why do you Question this in your hearts?" Mark 2:8 Part 5

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?”
We need to be careful in how judgmental we become of the Pharisees. We need to think about how responsive we would be in the same situation, if suddenly, some man started to teach and preach something ‘different’ from what we were used to. As leaders, they needed to constantly protect the people from all those who proclaimed to be a messiah. Additionally, change is difficult; significant change: painful – especially when all your training, work and life experiences lead you to believe that you’ve been heading in what you thought was the ‘right’ direction all along. The question itself is surprising – I mean who wouldn’t question in the face of a major paradigm shift: “Why do you question this in your hearts?”

What were they questioning? “Only God can forgive sins!” In this, they were not wrong – in fact, we would have the same response if someone came and simply said, “I forgive you of all your sins”. Hold on, we’d be thinking. Of course it’s blasphemy – unless, of course the man was God. We have the benefit of looking back at the Cross and the personal testimony of His disciples. They did not.

How is this connected to our discussions on ministering to those with disabilities? A good question - glad you asked! We need patience. For many of us who have worked in this part of the harvest field for many years, we see how often the Church is ‘lacking’ in its own ministry to those with cognitive disabilities and can’t help but wonder concerning this issue: “Why do you question this in your hearts?” It is a significant mind shift on so many different levels. I recently sat in on a Pastors’ meeting and spoke to a number of these issues – using Mark 2. Ministry involving those with disabilities is a different way of thinking for them – of being and doing church. They were not opposed, but the question arose "How"? We need to have patience and keep in mind that in so many ways they are ‘doing’ church right. What we’re suggesting is that for generations the Church has ‘missed’ when it comes to functioning as a holistic healing community involving those with disabilities. In their minds, with all their training, and experience and lives they’ve been doing what they thought were the ‘right’ ways – and we are suggesting another.

We certainly have a message for the Church – but we must be patient. Deliberate, strategic, determined, but never the less: patient. We must continue to show the way, challenge the conventions, be willing to be (albeit small) a community that is willing at the appropriate times, and for the right reasons, to circumvent the crowd, and to tear way a part of the roof to lower the person before the presence of Christ. Again, back to the four men. They didn’t do what they did to ‘make a point’ or ‘show what others were doing wrong’ or act out of defiance or even ‘righteous indignation’ (even though they had reason – the crowd tried to prevent them after all). Their sole purpose was ministry to the one – their friend, so that one may encounter Jesus.
Anyway, I was just thinking… Neil