A Word from Mark 2

Who are some of the people who’ve “carried you” to Jesus? Are there parents or grandparents who set an example of loving God? Are there Sunday School teachers who taught you the Bible, or friends who encouraged you to keep trusting, even when times were hard? Are there people who prayed for you, carrying your needs into the Lord’s presence?

Well you know, today’s word from Mark Chapter 2 reminds me that if there’s one area in life where we can’t “pull ourselves up by bootstraps,” that area is our relationship with Christ. And that’s true not only because that relationship is possible because of what he did for us and not what we did for him – but also because none of us can meet Jesus without others who carry us to him.

I’d imagine you know the story (see Mark 2:1-12). Four men want Jesus to help their paralyzed friend. But the crowds are so big, they can’t reach him. And so, they carry their friend up on the roof, make an opening, and lower him down. And just like they hoped, Jesus gives their friend forgiveness and healing.

And that brings up a related question: Who are you carrying into the Lord’s presence? Are there friends who are sick, or neighbors who are anxious about their jobs or families? Are there coworkers who are caught up in self-destructive behaviors, or people who meet who just seem weighed down by life?

And naturally, when you think about some of those folks, you might say, “But they’re not believers. What good would it do to carry them to Jesus?” And the answer, I think, comes in one all-too-easy to overlook line in today’s word: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” (2:5; emphasis added) You see, sometimes we carry others to Jesus—not because they believe—but because we do! And we trust that Jesus can use even that to change their lives for the better.

So let’s be on the lookout for people we can carry to Jesus. And may our faith become the bridge that ushers them into life. Amen.