Hello dear friends,
Today, let’s look at an act of courage shown by four men who brought their companion to Jesus:
When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.
— Mark 2:1
A few days after the incident with the leper, Jesus returned to Simon’s house in Capernaum. We recall that the leper had disobeyed Jesus’ command to keep silent about his healing, leading to an overwhelming public response. As a result, Jesus could no longer continue His ministry in Capernaum and had to retreat to desolate places where people sought Him out for healing.
Now, we find Jesus back at Simon and Andrew’s house. Mark notes that people heard Jesus was “at home,” which suggests they considered Simon and Andrew’s house as Jesus’ home. Because of this, many people came to hear Him teach. In Luke’s account, we learn that some of these people came from distant places, including Jerusalem, to hear from Jesus:
One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.
— Luke 5:17
The Pharisees and scribes often came to test Jesus and challenge His teachings. The scene was described as being packed with people surrounding the house.
Many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.
— Mark 2:2
At this point, we witness a fascinating incident. A paralytic was brought to Jesus, but there were too many people for them to reach Him directly:
They came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.
— Mark 2:3
This scene is remarkable. The paralytic couldn’t help himself—he was unable to walk. Yet, we are introduced to these four men who carried him. They brought him to Jesus on a stretcher, having heard of Jesus’ healing ministry. Like the leper, they had full faith in Christ’s ability to heal their friend.
This speaks volumes about the character of these four men. They didn’t give up on their friend. Mark doesn’t specify their relationship—whether they were family or just friends—but they refused to stand by while their friend suffered from paralysis. They took the initiative and brought him to Jesus.
As believers, we need to adopt this mindset. We should be people who tirelessly work to bring others to Jesus. The Bible reminds us that we have been placed where we are to minister to those around us:
Brothers, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
— 1 Corinthians 7:24
Having experienced the beauty of salvation, it would be selfish not to bring others to the feet of Jesus so they can also experience it. It’s an act of love when we share the miracle-working Christ who can save their souls.
These four men set an example by bringing the paralytic to Jesus. Despite the obstacles, they persisted. When they couldn’t enter the house due to the crowd, they found another way:
Being unable to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the paralytic was lying.
— Mark 2:4
The crowd was an obstacle, but it didn’t stop these men. Just as in this story, many things can hinder us from bringing our friends to Jesus. We can make excuses based on religious barriers, cultural differences, fear of losing relationships, fear of looking bad, or fear of losing popularity. There are always reasons not to reach out to those around us, but we must not let these obstacles stop us.
These four men went as far as removing the roof and lowering their friend down to where Jesus was. This likely upset the homeowners, yet the men were willing to take responsibility for the damage. They didn’t let any obstacle prevent them from bringing their friend to Jesus.
We can learn a lot about the character of friends from this narrative. Often, our friends influence our character. As Paul says to the Corinthians:
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:33
As believers, we must be mindful of the company we keep. More importantly, we should be the kind of people who are eager to bring others to Christ. Instead of allowing ourselves to be influenced by those who would corrupt our morals, we should be the salt and light that draws people to Jesus.
This principle of bringing others to Christ also applies to our fellow believers. We should be willing to help our Christian friends who have fallen into transgressions:
Brothers, even if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
— Galatians 6:1
Just like these four men, we should not allow the encumbrances of this world to prevent us from reaching out to friends who have strayed from the faith and bringing them back to the Lord.
I pray this word reminds us to always be watchful of our friends and ourselves, and to be willing to go above and beyond to bring them to Christ.
I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
— Luke 15:7
May the Lord shine His face upon you and give you peace.
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