Carry Them to Jesus
Yesterday, in our 2025 bible reading plan, we read one of my favorite stories in Mark 2. It’s the story of the paralyzed man – or rather – of the 4 friends of the paralyzed man.
They want to bring him to Jesus because they believe that Jesus can heal him.
The problem was that when they get to the house that Jesus was teaching in, it’s packed, and so they can’t get in. There was a significant obstacle in their bringing him to Jesus. But they know that if he’s brought to Jesus, Jesus will heal him.
It’s what Jesus does.
You probably know the story: they climb onto the roof, carry the paralyzed guy up there, break a hole in the roof (much to the chagrin of the owner of the house for sure!), and lower the guy down to bring him to Jesus. And what does Jesus do?
Jesus heals him.
It’s what Jesus does.
(He also forgives him his sins…which he didn’t even know was an issue…but that’s another story for another time!)
The paralyzed man, as of yet, didn’t have any faith that we know of. Mark doesn’t report that he confessed his belief in Jesus, or that he thought Jesus could heal him, or that he even knew who Jesus was.
But his friends believed in Jesus’ power, and so they brought him to Jesus.
He was healed – saved from his being crippled – because of their faith-in-action (well, and because of Jesus!). Our belief in Jesus – our faith-in-action – is meant to lead other people to the healing, saving power of Jesus. So every time I read this story, I ask myself,
How am I working to bring other people to Jesus?
Am I doing any heavy lifting? Am I tearing open roofs? Am I helping to carry the weight? Am I even trying? I challenge you to consider that as well. We’re all called to. But I also know that it sounds really big, intimidating, and far out. Fair enough.
But one way that we can all – today – be like those 4 friends, is to
carry other people to Jesus in prayer.
In fact, I challenge you to do that today. In your life, orbit, social world – who is ‘paralyzed’ by sadness, guilt, loneliness, abandonment, pain, confusion, lostness? Who is “crippled, crushed, oppressed, and kept in bondage” (see Sunday’s sermon!)?
Carry them to Jesus in prayer, today.
In fact, just like these friends, do the heavy-lifting kind of prayer to carry them to Jesus. Break through Jesus’ roof to bring them to him. Work up a sweat, so to speak.
If nothing else – they had a persistent faith-in-action. They believed that if they could overcome the obstacles to bring their friend to Jesus, he’d heal him.