There was a paralyzed man brought to Jesus in an unconventional way in Mark 2. He was lowered on a mat through the roof by four of his friends. It's a powerful story of friendship, support, faith, and yet another opportunity Jesus took to teach.
Please take a moment to reread the story in Mark 2:1-12. (It is also pasted below so you don't have to use the excuse that it would take time to look up).
My question is: which character are you?
- the invalid on the mat in need of support and healing
- the four friends whose faith prompted Jesus to forgive the man's sins (Yes, it was THEIR faith, not the invalid's faith. Did you catch that in verse 5?)
- the skeptical teachers of the law who questioned Jesus
- a spectator in the crowd, amazed at what Jesus did that day
No matter which character you find yourself to be today or in this season of life, I encourage each of you to take a moment to call on four friends to lift you up in prayer to the Father on your behalf for healing. Commit to lifting them up in prayer as well. At times, our faith can believe in healing for someone else more easily than we can believe it for ourselves. Let's lower each other through the roof and lift each other up to the Father!
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12 NIV)