What Friends Are For

The healing of the paraplegic man appears in all three synoptic gospels which suggests the importance of the message. Jesus has returned home to Capernaum to recharge from the ministry he’d been doing. But instead of a break, he was surrounded by crowds of people eager to see him work his miracles. There were so many people that the doorways were blocked and nobody else could get in. Then he heard someone overhead. Four men dismantled the roof andlowered their paralyzed friend down to him. If you, as a reader of the gospel, were looking for an example of faith, you would look no further than the four friends.

Imagine You Were One of Them. The hoard of people filling Jesus’s home were there for the show. They wanted to see the magic man the buzz was about. They wanted “miracle” videos they could post on Instagram or X or Facebook or YouTube. You, though, have made a commitment to your friend. You carried him to Jesus. And when the door was blocked, you climbed on the roof and lifted him up. You would not be deterred. Jesus recognized immediately what was happening. He didn’t call out or complain, “Look what you’ve done to my roof!” He didn’t put them off, “I’ll a little busy here. Get in line. Wait your turn.” No, he recognized the faith of the four and acted immediately. “Your sins are forgiven.”

If you were one of those four, how would you have responded to Jesus’s statement? You carried your friend here to be healed, but then instead of healing him, Jesus forgave his sins. Maybe you think, “My friend still can’t walk.” or “We’ll have to carry him back home.” But you don’t complain. Nor does your paraplegic friend. Only the groupies, waiting for their miracle, protest.

What set you apart from the crowd was the recognition that Jesus was right. Healing your sinful nature was more important than healing the body.  But when Jesus said, “rise,” and your friend picked up his pallet, you probably weren’t surprised.

Think of a time when you helped a friend. Why was the friend in need? What service did you provide? What happened as a result? Was it what you expected? Did faith play a role in the outcome? What more do you need to do?