A popular bible story in Mark 2:1–5 talks about how Jesus healed a sick man who was brought in through a roof by his friends.
“After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home.
A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men.
When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.
Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” (MSG)
I have had the privilege to be present on different occasions when this story was shared, and in all these times, more attention was paid to the healing of the paralytic man, but I want to shift our focus on what it took for him to get his miracle.
The sick man’s friends made his healing happen.
I would like us to first reflect on these key points:
- Can I inconvenience myself for the benefit of my friend?
- How much can I give to see my friend successful?
- Can I have faith on behalf of my friend?
- How much of a friend am I to my friend?
The sick man had good friends. His friends practically pushed him to his miracle. He was incapacitated and was therefore unable to get to his miracle even with the knowledge that the healer people greatly talked about was there.
His faith and knowledge of the healer couldn’t move him to the point of his miracle.
What kind of friend are you?
The sick man’s friends definitely had other engagements during the time they got the information of Jesus’ presence in the house. I believe they had their own families; they probably lived far away from their friend, or even far away from the house where Jesus stayed.
They did not think of the other things they had to do, their families or their personal businesses, the stress of carrying a sick man on a bed from his house down to the road, neither did they think of the shame or stigmatisation associated with having a friend who was paralytic. All they saw was their friend getting healed, and if it meant lifting him off the ground to the healer, they were down for it.
“…A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men.” (MSG)
On getting to the house, the Bible recorded that the the entrance was jammed and no one could get in or out.
This was enough discouragement. It was okay for these friends to say, “Oh well, this is how far we can go. We can’t get past this crowd.”
But they stayed put!
They re-strategised and did the unthinkable – breaking into someone’s house through the roof without thinking of the consequences!
They were determined to see their friend healed. They had radical faith on behalf of their friend. The were prepared to get beaten or stoned for tearing the roof of someone’s house apart. All they wanted to see was their friend healed. What great love!
Here’s what Jesus said in one of his teachings about love in John 15:12–13,
“This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.”
We are going to focus on the last statement in that reading – Put your life on the line for your friends. That is what Jesus commanded when he comforted his friends after it had been revealed to him that he would be betrayed. And that was exactly what these men did. The zest, faith and passion they put towards getting their friend to the point of his healing was all borne out of love.
They loved their friend so much that they were willing to do anything to see him healed.
They believed in the healing power of Jesus on their friend’s behalf.
They had faith that their friend would be healed and they put the work into seeing it manifest, for faith without works is dead. (James 2:26)
Jesus, on seeing their level of faith, was impressed. He would definitely be impressed to see his commandment displayed right before his eyes. Who wouldn’t be moved to meet their request!
Our Lord is pleased when we love with all our heart. He is pleased when we obey his word, and if his word says put your life in the line for your friends, we should do it, without holding back. That is the kind of love he showed to us when he laid down his life for us.
The above story may not be exactly represented in our lives, but we would see ourselves in the position to render help to a friend in need. Here are some insights from our story.
- Give without holding back. Your time, your money, your attention, your patience.
Pray for your friends. You may be the only Bible your friend ever reads.
- Show love by drawing your friends to the answer – Jesus Christ; through sharing the word of God together, attending fellowships and interceding for them in their time of need.
Let’s take a look at King James Version of Mark 2:5.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
From the above scripture we see that Jesus didn’t need to have an interaction with the sick man. It was in no place recorded that Jesus Christ asked the man whether he believed he would receive his healing or not. The faith of his friends was enough to bring his healing.
We can show love by praying and having faith in God for our friends. Our faith in God can bring about a change in any unpleasant situation.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” – John 15:14
- Jesus has commanded us to show love and if we do, we not only receive blessings that come with having faith, we also declare our love and identification with him.
- Be wise when making friendship choices. The quality of our circle determines how close we are to achieving our goals, be it financial, spiritual, health or business-wise.
The sick man in our story would not have been healed if he had the wrong set of friends. Our relationships sometimes determine the extent of our blessings.
Our friends can either limit or navigate us steps closer to the point of our breakthrough.
Be the friend you desire to have. By showing love to man, you show love to God. Jesus needs you to project his love for the world to mankind. Make yourself available today.
