To what length would you go?
AM Psalm 50 • PM Psalm [59, 60] or 19, 46
Gen. 39:1-23 • 1 Cor. 2:14-3:15 • Mark 2:1-12
When we read the miracle of Jesus healing the paralytic, we tend to focus on the miracle itself or the conversation between Jesus and the scribes. But what about those 4 determined guys who had the idea of Jesus curing a paralytic man?
Four men are carrying their paralyzed friend on a mat with hope of bringing him to Jesus for a cure. They can’t get him through the door. But undeterred, they carry him up onto the roof, and dig through the roof to make a hole large enough to lower him to Jesus. Would you go that far for a friend of yours? Or would have you given up when you couldn’t get them through the door? Or when you realized how heavy he would be to carry up onto the roof? Or when digging through the roof meant clawing at the tightly packed lime, hardened clay, reeds and palm leaves? Or when with tired arms you need to find the strength to lower your friend through the hole to Jesus?
When we look at what these men accomplished, we can see that this is way more than determination. This is FAITH! The faith that all this is worth it because they have faith in the man to whom they are bringing their friend! Faith in Jesus! We read in Mark “When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven.” Not only did Jesus forgive his sins, but he also told him to take up his mat and walk. The paralytic being able to walk and having his sins forgiven was not his own doing.
These determined men acted out of love for their friend and faith in Jesus. And that pretty much wraps up the two great commandments. These men just weren’t performing a good deed, they acted out of loving Jesus and loving their neighbor as themselves. Do you have a friend like that? The more important question is, are you a friend like that? With our faith in Jesus, would you go to the lengths these men did for your friend? Would you do it for a stranger? The one who is your unknown neighbor?
Because here is the kicker to this story! While I have referred to the men that carried the paralytic as friends of his, neither Matthew, Mark, nor Luke refers to them as friends! They might not have even known each other or the paralytic. This takes this miracle into a whole other realm. Would you go to this extreme effort and have this kind of determination for someone you don’t even know? For your neighbor? What lengths would you go to for another?
Written by Chris Schaefer
Trying to go to all lengths with determination and faith! And that is so hard for me and so tiring, it makes my arms ache!