Brought to Jesus

Mark 2:3-5 NLT

“four men arrived carrying a paralysed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralysed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

There are moments in life when we just need to let others help us. Times when we feel so paralysed by our circumstances or suffering that we can do nothing in and of ourselves.

Looking back for me, there were a few key people who really helped me in the days following our son’s accident, people who brought me to Jesus. How? you might ask. Well first and foremost by simply being there. By praying for me when I had no words. By weeping with me when tears were my closest friend. By sharing scripture with me to bring comfort and strength when I felt my whole world had been torn apart.

It has been said that people can’t do what only Jesus can do. Whilst that is true, there is also a responsibility on each of us to carry those who are suffering so that they can begin to see Jesus again and reach out to Him.

In the story in Mark chapter 2, there are four men bringing a paralysed man to Jesus and here we have a clear example of others carrying, because the man could not reach Jesus unless they took him. As far as we know this would mean that he wouldn’t have encountered Jesus or healing.

This noble act of others enabled his life to be touched and ultimately changed.

These men, whether friends or strangers took the time and effort to take him to Jesus and even dig a hole through the roof to lower him down because of the large crowd.

Jesus saw that their faith was great. So often we equate faith with mental ascent, and I’m sure they believed that Jesus could heal, however, I prefer to think they had something that is called in Hebrew, ‘chutzpah’. They had a dogged determination to get this man to Jesus and because of that, Jesus rewarded that faith.

The text doesn’t suggest that the man paralysed had any faith, but the men who got him through certainly did. There are times when we need to push through for the sake of the one suffering. They may or may not know God but could have suffered to such an extent that they don’t experience Him any longer. That’s where those around us who do know Jesus need to step up.

Sometimes the numbness, pain, helplessness and darkness that our circumstances can leave us in can mean we are just too exhausted to reach out to the Lord for help. Perhaps some are able to hang on by fingertip faith. Hang on for dear life. https://www.strengthinsuffering.com/post/fingertip-faith

Thankfully in my life, others stepped in to help, others needed to wash my feet and help me back up so I could start to walk again. I recently spoke on washing one another’s feet. https://www.strengthinsuffering.com/post/following-jesus-example-footwashing

When people are suffering, there is a great opportunity for each of us to reach out and help, washing feet so to speak. Of course wisdom and patience and so many other things are needed when supporting those who are hurting. But reach out we must. Go the extra mile we must.

Even when that person is seemingly doing well and back on track, we need to check in on them to make sure they’re experiencing Jesus.

So often we want quick fixes in life and then to move onto the next thing, but very often it is not like that and there are people with whom you will need to be there for for the long haul. That’s where this idea of chutzpah comes in. A dogged, persistence, I won’t let you go until you bless me attitude. We need that for ourselves but we also need that in order to reach out to those in need.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we know that You long to touch people’s lives. May we be an instrument in that process. Help us take up the opportunities that You put before us. Amen