Mark 2 is a beautiful portrayal of the church in action. A group of four friends carried a paralyzed man to a house where Jesus was preaching, only to find that the entrance was blocked by a crowd. No one was able to get in or out. These friends could have easily made an excuse that they should just go home and come back later. But instead, they got creative. They were determined to get their paralyzed friend to the Savior anyway they could.
They hoisted their friend on the roof and began to remove parts of the roof to make a new way to Jesus. They lowered him through the roof to the feet of Jesus. Impressed by their bold faith, Jesus spoke to the paralyzed man saying, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
Block Out the Spirit of Religion
Verses 6-7 talks about how some religious scholars were sitting there whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”
The religious spirit will always speak against the things God’s people are doing while taking no action at all. As people passionate about bringing people to Christ, we can’t let those mindsets or words take root in our lives.
Jesus, after addressing the religious murmurs, continues the miracle and tells the man, “Get up.” He healed the man’s soul and his body. This was a complete miracle that only God could do.
A Church that is Active
Our faith needs to be active, if it’s to be called faith at all. Just like with the 4 friends, Jesus will perform incredible miracles where there is bold and unwavering faith.
A church that is active moves Jesus to action. May we be a church that continuously strives to make more room for people to meet Jesus.
Carry Your Mat
Jesus did not just heal the man, He gave him a call-to-action. He told the man to, “Pick up your stretcher and go home.” The man immediately obeyed and walked out of the house for all to see. This dumbfounded the crowd, leaving them in awe and left them praising God and saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
We’re called to do the same. When God performs the miraculous in our lives, we’re to carry that story for all to see. The purpose of the mat is to show others where God brought us from. It’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
May God move in a miraculous way in your life and may your past be proof that God does the impossible.