Barry Unwin, Hanley Castle, Upton, Welland 26 March 2017
Mark 1:29-34
29 Jesus and his disciples, including James and John, left the synagogue and went straight to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and as soon as Jesus arrived, he was told about her. 31 He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to wait on them.
32 After the sun had set and evening had come, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had demons. 33 All the people of the town gathered in front of the house. 34 Jesus healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases and drove out many demons. He would not let the demons say anything, because they knew who he was.
Mark 2:1-12
A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them 3 when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. 4 Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat. 5 Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!”
8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Why do you think such things? 9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
12 While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Well it’s Mother’s Day today – or Mothering Sunday – as we like to call it in the church of England so that we can celebrate not only the mothers but also anyone who has ever acted like a mother.
And I want to use our Bible reading to help us think about an aspect of mothering this morning, how we use our homes, and particularly I’m gonna ask you a question: What is the most amazing thing God has done in your home?
And as you ponder What the most amazing thing God has ever done in your home, let me pray.
So, I’ve mentioned to some of you before that I wasn’t always a Christian. I was 16 when I abandoned atheism, two years later, A-levels complete, I moved to Sheffield to go to university. And while I was there one of the biggest influences on my faith was a student discussion group that I used to attend at my church.
Doubletake was the group’s name, and every Sunday evening, we’d all be invited to the home of the associate vicar, Gavin, where we’d get some really thought-provoking teaching from the Bible, enjoy some wonderful hospitality, and make new friends. Many marriages, including my own, began there.
So what was it that made Doubletake possible? Well certainly the bible teaching that Gavin gave us was part of it. But it wasn’t just the teaching that made it so special.Maybe you think it was the house?The church provides vicars with houses for just that sort of thing don’t they? Well actually no – clergy aren’t obliged to use their homes for anything.
No – what really made Doubletake possible was Gavin’s wife, Janet, who spent hours preparing delicious food and making the home lovely so that the 50-100 students who were regularly packed in there – sometimes crammed two to a step on the staircase – I was smaller then – could get the benefit of Gavin’s teaching. She opened her home so that God could be at work there. And He was.
Something similar went on in our Bible reading. Do you remember how it began?
A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home.” (Mark 2:1)
Some people are surprised when they read that – because they think Jesus never had a home – he says as much in Matthew’s gospel –
Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.” (Mt.8:20).
So why does Mark’s gospel say Jesus was “at home”?
Well the answer is that it wasn’t his home – but someone let him stay there. Someone opened their home to him to use as a base.
And it won’t surprise you at all given that it’s mothering Sunday to find out it was a lady. Sadly we don’t know her name, all we know is that she was the mother-in-law of one of Jesus’ main followers, a fisherman called Peter.
And this lady had a particular reason for welcoming Jesus. Earlier in Mark’s gospel Jesus, Peter, and a few other disciples came to her house, and found she was in bed with a fever. In our culture, we’d see that as really annoying. Just imagine – God turns up in your lounge and you’re too sick to go and meet him.
But in 1st century Jewish culture it was a bit more complicated. Not only is this amazing man downstairs and she’s too sick to meet him, but good manners demand she offer hospitality. How can she do that if she’s ill?
So not only is she missing the most amazing houseguest of her life, but she’s insulted him by not being able to offer hospitality – the pressures of being a mother.
Wonderfully, Jesus saves the day by coming up to see her. The Bible tells us he took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her. And the evening finishes with her offering hospitality to them all.
And because of the love he showed her and that remarkable healing, every time Jesus returned to Capernaum, Peter’s mother-in-law opens her home to him. She let him share her home because of what he’d shared with her. I wonder if we’ve let Jesus come and share our homes?
Think of what he’s done for us.
He’s shown incredible concern for us as people.
He’s promised us “life in all it’s fullness”
He’s forgiven us our sin
And proven his love for us by sacrificing himself in our place on the cross
And one day, he’ll welcome us into his home. On the night before he died, he told his followers,
There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2).
He’s opening his home to us – I wonder if we can return the compliment!
Let’s get back to our story. So Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law – and she was excited about it. So excited she told her friends and neighbours. Often when we get good news we keep it to ourselves, don’t we?
But Peter’s mum shared it with her friends and neighbours, and they told their friends and neighbours, and by sunset, the whole town is at her doorstep. 1500 people. And Jesus is healing people and casting out demons all night long.
That must have been a pretty amazing night– wouldn’t it be incredible to see your own home become a place where people can receive forgiveness and new life? I mean – if we’d asked Peter’s mother-in-law – “What’s the most amazing thing God has done in your home?” I wonder what her answer would have been?
It might well have been what happens next, in Mark chapter 2 when Jesus returns to Capernaum and once again word gets round, and the whole town turn up to hear him.
Now normally we tell this story from Jesus’ perspective – but as it’s mothering Sunday – let’s try and see it from Peter’s mother-in-law’s point of view instead.
Think first of the cost to her. The loss of privacy of having all those people invade her home to hear her guest. Crammed shoulder to shoulder in the lounge…But also, think of the possibilities – the things that God had done last time Jesus visited. How exciting that would have been.
Then something weird happens, Four men climb onto the roof your house, and make a hole in the ceiling, and lower a fifth man through on a mat. You recognise him – he’s been paralysed for years.
Do you think Peter’s mother-in-law was horrified that her roof had been damaged? I bet she was. Now to be fair, roofs in those days were often made just of thatch, and probably would have been relatively easy to repair, but even so, this is something pretty shocking.
And then it gets stranger still. Instead of healing the man like everyone expects he’s gonna’ do, Jesus starts talking about forgiving his sin.
And that’s when things get awkward. There are some scribes there.
“What’s a scribe?” I can hear you all asking. A scribe was a religious expert. They’re probably there to check this new teacher Jesus out and make sure he’s up to no good.
Anyway, when Jesus talks about forgiving the man’s sin, the scribes accuse him of blasphemy.
Only God can forgive sin”
they say. How awkward. I opened my home to the religious people and they’ve started having a big religious argument in my living room. How awkward.
And yet also – how wonderful – When Jesus silences the grumblers by saying
I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And the paralysed man does. Now Capernaum is a small town. 1500 people. So most people in the room know the paralysed man. And everyone in the room is amazed and they start glorifying God saying,
We’ve never seen anything like this.”
What a day that was. And what a thing to have happen in your home. Whatever else you might think about Jesus – it’s never easy having him around. But it is wonderful.So as I finish, I want to go back to my question. “What’s the most amazing thing God has done in your home?” But rather than looking backwards–why don’t we look forwards and ask “What’s the most amazing thing God could do in your home?”
Well we’ll never know, unless, like Peter’s mother-in-law, we make our homes places of welcome. That’s God’s precondition for coming to work in your home. Make people welcome. Show hospitality.
But of course for him really to be at work in your home – he first needs to be at work in your heart. He invites us to open the doors of our hearts to him.
John’s gospel tells us
[Jesus] was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him..” (John 1:10-11).
The natural state of our hearts is not to know Jesus. If you were here last week I talked about us having a God shaped hole in hearts. That’s our natural-born state, until we invite Jesus in to come and fill that hole.
Last week I also quoted an old church leader Augustine who said,
Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you”.
We can find that rest that Jesus promises simply by asking, by opening the doors not just of our homes, but of our hearts, to Jesus.
And to do that, to open your heart to Jesus, all you have to do is ask him.He stands at the door of your life waiting for you to invite him in.
I’m gonna’ finish there, and let’s pray…
NB The structure of this sermon was adapted from Ian Knox’s helpful book, 100 Instant Talks for All Occasions.