Pastor Sullivan's Blog

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. They brought to Jesus a paralytic man lying on his bed. The men who carried the man, along with the paralytic himself, surely believed that Christ would give him a new life, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble. And it was quite a trouble. St. Mark records that “ when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying ” (Mark 2:4). Great was their faith in Christ’s mercy. Invincible was their trust that Christ would grant the paralytic new life. This all happens in Capernaum, Jesus’ own city, where Christ dwelt, taught, and did many miracles. These men, the paralytic included, would have heard the good news about Jesus. They believed Him to be compassionate toward the poor, the infirmed, and brokenhearted. They go in faith in Christ’s mercy and His ability to save. This is ...

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         Jesus enters Capernaum, His own city, and is confronted by several men carrying a paralytic on his bed. St. Mark gives us more details. Mark records that Jesus was in a house, and “ Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door ” (Mark 2:2). Jesus preaches repentance and God’s mercy to the packed house. But the crowd poses a problem for the friends of the paralytic. They can’t get their friend’s bed to Jesus. Undeterred, they climb onto roof, hauling their friend in the bed up their too. The Israelites build their houses to have flat roofs, which is why these friends can then dig a bed-sized hole in the roof. Once “ they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying ” (Mark 2:4). It must’ve been quite a sight. Their ...