SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:1-5
1And again He (Jesus) entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And 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. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
In this passage from Mark we read that Jesus in preaching in a house in Capernaum. He is being pursued by the crowd who want to hear him preach. There are so many people in the house that there is not even room in the house to stand. Jesus preaches and the crowd hangs onto his every word. No one leaves the house.
Then we see that four men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. They can't get into the house because of the crowd. They have carried their friend to the house where Jesus is preaching hoping and praying that Jesus can heal their paralysed friend. But they can't get near Jesus. They can't turn back, their hope was in the Jesus healing their friend. Imagine the diappointment if they couldn't succeed in their venture. The paralytic probably felt that he was doomed to never walk. The four men probably thought they had gotten their paralysed friend's hopes up only to have them dashed. How could they turn back now!
They looked around and became resourceful. One of the men may have spotted the outside stairs leading to the roof. Another man may have directed the others to take the roof apart. Another may have found something to use as a lever to pry apart the roof. Another man may have comforted the paralytic. It took a team working together to lower the paralyzed man through the roof to get close to Jesus.
When Jesus observed the scene taking place, He knew the paralytic was there through extraordinary means of his friends. They had faith that their friend would be made whole if they could get their friend close enough to Jesus to be healed. Because of that faith, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. Later on in the passage we learn that Jesus tells the paralytic to "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Then we see that four men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. They can't get into the house because of the crowd. They have carried their friend to the house where Jesus is preaching hoping and praying that Jesus can heal their paralysed friend. But they can't get near Jesus. They can't turn back, their hope was in the Jesus healing their friend. Imagine the diappointment if they couldn't succeed in their venture. The paralytic probably felt that he was doomed to never walk. The four men probably thought they had gotten their paralysed friend's hopes up only to have them dashed. How could they turn back now!
They looked around and became resourceful. One of the men may have spotted the outside stairs leading to the roof. Another man may have directed the others to take the roof apart. Another may have found something to use as a lever to pry apart the roof. Another man may have comforted the paralytic. It took a team working together to lower the paralyzed man through the roof to get close to Jesus.
When Jesus observed the scene taking place, He knew the paralytic was there through extraordinary means of his friends. They had faith that their friend would be made whole if they could get their friend close enough to Jesus to be healed. Because of that faith, Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. Later on in the passage we learn that Jesus tells the paralytic to "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
We find in this passage that faith was seen in action when the four friends brought the paralytic to Jesus. When they could not get in to see Jesus, they didn't stop there. They went forward with their action. The climbed the steps, took apart the roof and lowered the man into the crowd around Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith in action, he turned his attention to the need of the paralytic. The need Jesus saw was the need for forgiveness then the need for healing of the body. This could not have taken place without the action of the four friends. Their faith was the catalyst for miracle to happen.
Lord, help me to be that friend who helps those who need a touch from the Master's hand. Show me how I can put my faith into action. Let me be the hands and feet of those in need. Thank you for forgiveness and for healing the broken body. Amen.
It takes action to put your faith in motion.
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