In the second chapter of Mark’s gospel, we learn that Jesus is visiting in a particular house in the city of Capernaum. As was often the case, word spread throughout the community that He was there. So, the people came, so many of them that soon the house was full. And late comers could not even get near the door. The text tells is that Jesus preached the word to them. While He was preaching, four men came to the house carrying a paralyzed man. But they, too, like many others, could not enter because of all the people. These men, though, were on a mission and they would not be denied the opportunity to get this paralyzed friend into the presence of Jesus. So, they took him up on the top of the house where they made an opening in the roof large enough to lower him on the pallet into the presence of Jesus. They had faith in the power of Jesus to help their friend. Jesus, seeing that display of faith, not only healed the man of his paralysis, He also forgave him his sins. All of that was done, Jesus said, in order that “…you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins…”(Mark 2:10). Some of those presences were the scribes (those who felt it their responsibility to defend the Law of Moses). They were “…reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone’” (2:6, 7)? They so reasoned in their hearts because they denied who Jesus said He was. They failed to see that what He said was verified by what He did.
It is a great read! And I encourage you to do it. There are a number of lessons we could draw from this account. What I want us to think about is faith. Not just faith, but radical faith! To go to the trouble to get a paralyzed man up on top of a house (and from all indications it did not belong to any of them) and to tear a hole in the
roof – that was radical faith in action. If tearing a hole in the roof was not disruption enough to the proceedings below, they then lower this paralyzed man down into the room where Jesus was preaching. This whole scene speaks of radical faith, doing what was necessary to get their friend into the presence of Jesus.
Is there anything radical about my faith? What about yours? Radical or ordinary, which describes me and you? Understand, ordinary is not a bad word. There is a place for ordinary. But there is also a placer for extra-ordinary. The Christian who practices radical faith is certainly an extra-ordinary person. Is there urgency on our part to get our unsaved loved ones and friends into the presence of Jesus?
What I am about to suggest is not radical, but maybe it is a start. Why not say to a loved one or a friend, “Let’s take a Bible Correspondence Course together.” Two studying together would be fun and challenging. Send me a note: P.O. Box 1399, Kosciusko, and I will fix you up with a course and you can extend the invitation to someone you know. Just do it!
