The
elementary age children at our church have recently started going through the
book of Mark on Sunday mornings during their children’s church hour. This
morning it was my turn to teach, and the passage was the well-known story of
the paralytic man being lowered through the roof of the house to be healed by
Jesus. Of course, a vital part of the story (probably the most important part)
is that Jesus forgives the man’s sins before he ever heals him, addressing his
biggest need first. Here Christ shows His deity, since, as the scribes reason
in their hearts, only God can forgive sins. To prove his authority to forgive
sins and show that He really is God, Christ does then heal the paralytic. What
a great event to be included in Scripture showing Christ’s deity, His desire to
reconcile man to Himself, and His compassion for the hurting!
Yet what I find myself thinking
about most today is the persistence of the four friends. They knew, beyond a
shadow of a doubt, that what their friend needed most was Jesus, and they went
to great lengths to get him to Christ. The room in which Jesus was speaking was
packed; there was no way in with a man on a pallet. So they went up to the roof
and removed the tiles (probably clay tiles) and lowered their friend down to
Jesus. They didn’t put it off until a more convenient time, they didn’t worry
about what others would say, and they didn’t give up when it required more
effort. Their faith that Jesus could heal this man – that Jesus was the answer
to the problem – was unshakable.
And that truth has not changed over
the last 2000 years. Jesus is still the answer, and He is still the only One
who can meet our deepest needs. And the best friends are still the ones who
point us to Christ.
Today’s advice, sadly even in
Christian circles, often sounds like this: “You can do it! You’ve got this,
girl! Believe in yourself!” Yet this is not the Christian message, and deep
down we all know we don’t have what it takes. If it all depended on us, let’s
be honest: We’d be sunk. And I’m not just talking about salvation; I think we
all agree that is in Christ alone. I’m talking about day-to-day living: pressures
at work, challenges in parenting, keeping a marriage strong, dealing with
changes in life, making difficult decisions, and so on. I, for one, cannot meet
the challenges of life, so please don’t tell me I can. Instead, follow the
example of the four friends and point me to Christ.
These are just some of the truths
about Jesus to which we can point our believing friends: Jesus cares for you
and wants you to cast your burdens on Him (I Peter 5:7). His yoke is easy and
His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). He will never leave you nor forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5). Through Him, you can
face all things (Phil. 4:13). He will complete the work He has started in you
(Phil. 1:6). He will always provide a way to stand against the temptation you
face (I Cor. 10:13). Without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5). He loves you
and calls you friend (John 15:12-15). In Him, we are blessed with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).
Yes, Jesus is and always will be the answer. We can do no
kinder thing for our friends than point them to Him.
--Amy O"Rear
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