Who's Carrying Who?

Yesterday, I read through Mark 2. It’s the chapter that begins with the paralyzed man being brought to Jesus…

3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, 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 by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”… 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:3-5, 10-12)

This has been a familiar passage for some time, but it always brings up two questions for me every time I read it: Who am I carrying? Who is carrying me?

Who am I carrying?

I don’t know what the exact ailment of the man was. The Bible says he was paralyzed and had men come with him, four of them carrying him. So, he obviously was not able to get to Jesus on his own, and even if he had, he would have been in the “overflow room” of Jesus’ preaching.

When the men couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd, they were not willing to give up; they found a way by digging through the roof of the host’s house and lowering the man down. Jesus remarked on their faith and forgave the man’s sins as well as bringing healing to his body.

Reflecting on this, I think of the people I know who are going through difficult times. Some are struggling financially, some are facing challenging health issues, some have lost loved ones within the last year, and some are just in overwhelming situations that require a lot of attention and care to the situation.

If they were laying on the mat, would I be willing to pull up a corner and do whatever is necessary to get them to Jesus? Am I believing that if I get them to Jesus, Jesus will do what only he can do: bring restoration in every part of their lives?

If I’m not carrying anyone in prayer, in hospitality, in advocation on a regular basis, I’ve lost touch with the needs of the people I know. I may not be able to do everything, but I can at least grab a corner and do my part to carry them to Jesus.

Who is carrying me?

Life is hard. This is not breaking news, but a statement of everyday reality. Socio-economic setbacks, rising costs in goods, and maintaining our overall health takes a lot of work to overcome. Sometimes, it feels overwhelming.

I know for me it can feel overwhelming when our staff team has dwindled down to two people. It can feel overwhelming when my son, Jude, has therapy three times a week for different issues he’s facing. It can feel overwhelming when I have to take on simultaneous jobs within my work in order to keep the ministry and my family going.

In these situations, do I have at least two people who I can go to that I know without a doubt they would carry me to Jesus in prayer (and sometimes through tangible means), lowering me down to meet with him? Two people could possibly do the work, but it would be better to have a minimum of four people carrying 190 lbs of dead weight.

Am I willing to be humble enough to share with those closest to me that I need help getting to Jesus? If I don’t have at least four people I can call up at any time, am I making myself available to people in my life? Am I praying that God would create divine appointments and spiritual friendships that knit my heart to others’?

Two testimonies

There are two testimonies in this story. One is the friends’ faith that Jesus remarked on. The other is the healed paralytic who got up and “walked out in full view of them all.” (v.12) Both are important to note as both required humility and willingness to put full trust in Jesus.

I can imagine the man with his friends a few days later retelling the story to those who had been out of town and didn’t get to see it firsthand. I imagine them laughing when they get to the part about tearing the roof off the host’s house. And I imagine them wiping away tears when they recount Jesus both forgiving the sins and healing the paralytic.

Stories like this are foundational to believing in who Jesus says he was and is, but they all start with people who are in need and willing to go a few steps further than normal to meet with Jesus.

Am I willing to do the same?