There is a great record in the Bible of a paralyzed man being lowered through a roof by his friends to see Jesus. He sought healing. They were his team to get them there. There was no way to carry him through the crowds on his mat. They came up with a brilliant solution. They would lower him through the roof.
Crazy? A little, but love is often a little nuts.
"Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed 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." -Mark 2:2-4
Imagine the honor of having Jesus as an invited, overnight guest. Then, imagine your house filling with people crazy to meet him, see him, touch him and longing to be healed. All of a sudden the roof is peeling back and there is a paralysed man on a mat being lowered down by some friends. Talk about a house party gone wild.
Jesus takes note of the man and his faithful friends. I am sure they made him smile with their determination and ingenuity. When the man was directly in front of him, Jesus addressed him.
Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." and then he told him to pick up his mat and walk. Talk about a game changer. Walk, skip, hop, dance and sing! I've experienced partial paralysis... I can assure you that even the simplest movement is exciting when it returns. This man's healing must have amazed the crowds... but more importantly, it changed a life.
Do I stick with friends when it gets rough? I try. This guy's friends were with him all the way. Not just lip service, but ready to climb a roof with a paralytic on a mat to prove they were with him.
This Bob Goff quote is great. "We're throwing people off of roofs we should be lowering them through. We'll be remembered for our love, not our opinions.
Love climbs the roof and lowers the mat. Love does the happy dance on the way out the door.
"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return." -Philippians 1:9-10
Today, I am grateful for friends who "lower us through the roof".
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