1 A few days later, when Jesus again
entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So
many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the
door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some
men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since
they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in
the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the
paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:1-5
Thought: In our
society today the everyday challenges we face prevent us from walking the ways
of Jesus. We allow for our busyness and fast paced lives to pull us away from who
we really need to be in relationships with others. If Satan can keep us engaged
in meaningless activity he is satisfied. The chaos that we keep our minds
focused on is not of the devil, it is the devil himself!
God, in the person
of Jesus, walked many dusty roads, and wherever he went, he engaged in all
kinds of relationships. Jesus cultivated relationships in many different ways.
He worked at it. He invested time in and encouraged them. He prayed for them
and with them. He ate and traveled with them. Jesus valued those relationships
so much that he wouldn’t let them go, even when they walked away from him as he
hung on the cross.
In our half-crazed,
hurrying around world today, how many meaningful relationships do you have with
other people? Have computers and cell phones taken away from the value of your
relationships with others? Do you use texting and Facebook to build
relationships? How often do you take the time to sit down with someone, and
truly talk and listen to each other? Do you find time to pray with another
person?
One of the great
stories in the Bible about relationships involved a paralyzed man and his
friends who brought him to Jesus. Just imagine what life must have been like
for this man. His entire life consisted of a mat, three feet wide and six feet
long. He could not take care of himself. Someone had to feed him, carry him,
clothe him, and clean him, and move him. He had to be a beggar, he had no
choice. He was not able to be independent and self reliant. He depended on
people passing by to get by one day at a time. He had no money, job, retirement
plan, family, influence, and certainly no future.
However, this man
did have one good thing going for him. He had some amazing friends that cared
enough about him and to do anything it took to get him to Jesus. It was no
simple task, but his friends did not let this stop them. Can you imagine the
mess they made in the process of getting this paralyzed man up the roof and
removing the roof materials to lower him in to Jesus? The only concern for
these men was getting their friend to Jesus. They knew He was their only hope.
They knew with Jesus he would be healed. to help their friend.
As you reflect on
this story, take a moment to look back over your life. Have you ever had a relationship with someone
that was deep enough that you would go to the extent these men did for their
friend? Where are your priorities? Would you take the time to put others first
by reaching out to them in their time of need? Would you do it for recognition
or would you do it because you want to be more like Jesus?
Prayer: Jesus,
thank you for responding to four friends who cared so much. Help me find the
time to help someone who needs a friend. Amen.
Questions:
1.
Describe
your own struggles to find time to have deep relationships.
2.
Say
a prayer for each relationship you have that reflects this story of healing.
