We Need Each Other
The idea that we need each other has always been true, but I think the last 20 months have shown us that connection requires intention. Showing up for one another doesn’t just happen by chance, it requires us to take action.
Mark 2 tells us the story of a paralytic man and his friends going to see Jesus. Jesus had returned to Capernaum and many had gathered together in a home to hear him speak. The house was so full there was no room for anyone else to enter. Four friends had transported their friend, who couldn’t walk, by stretcher, to see Jesus. Since there was no room for them they went up to the roof of the home and began to remove pieces of the roof to make an opening to lower their friend down into the house.
Once the man was through the roof and laying at the feet of Jesus, Mark says in verse 5, “And Jesus seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven.” I love this part. Jesus first acknowledges the faith of the man’s friends and then he shows so much love and compassion for this man by calling him son and forgiving his sins. He gives him the greatest gift, the gift of a renewed relationship with God. He could have stopped there, but he doesn’t. He is aware of all of those in the crowd questioning his authority to forgive sin and he says to them beginning in verse 9, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, get up, and pick up your pallet and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins - he said to the paralytic, I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.”
The paralytic could not get himself to the feet of Jesus alone. But his friends loved him enough to go the extra mile, to remove the roof of the house, and to lower him to Jesus. They didn’t give up. They kept going. Jesus saw their great faith. I think the friends must have been surprised that Jesus didn’t heal the man’s physical body first, because I assume that was what they expected. Yet, I think that moment deepened their understanding of Jesus as the Messiah. I imagine these friends talked about this day for years to come.
Do you ever find yourself struggling to get to the feet of Jesus? Maybe you’ve been hurt or wounded. Maybe you feel scared or alone. Maybe it’s been so long since you were there you aren’t sure how to get back. We need friends that intercede on our behalf and we need to be friends who intercede on behalf of others. Some days we might just need a friend to say - Come on, let’s go to Jesus together!
We need each other. Plain and simple. How will you be intentional about connection this week?
~ Melissa