Do you have a story about being a friend? One of my friends was fired from his job and because of his position it was on the front page of the local paper. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to go and see him, which I did. I didn’t really say a lot, but it made a big difference to him.
Often, when life goes sideways, it is not always what we say but that we cared enough to just be there. Maybe you experienced a time like that in your life where someone was there for you when you hit bottom. Possibly you were there for someone else when times were difficult.
The Paralyzed Man had Special Friends
As our story unfolds about the paralyzed man, we don’t know much about the friends that carried him to the house where Jesus was. We do know that when they arrived at the house it was so crowded, they could not get in. These friends would not be put off and they decided to take the risk of opening the roof of the house to let their friend down before Jesus.
Can you imagine the stir it made as they men hacked through the roof and then let their friend down? Opening the roof would cause dust and dirt to fall on those below. There may have been unkind words spoken to these men as they tried to get their friend to Jesus. We don’t know because the text does not say.
Luke 5:18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” [1]
We Have No Greater Friend than Jesus
When things get difficult, we may not have close friends to help us. But no matter the situation, Jesus is always there in the middle with us. When we are down, He is lifting us up. If we feel we are alone, we know He is always with us. When we need strength, we can pray the Lord would strengthen us. Even if we don’t feel loved by others, we know that nobody loves us more than Jesus. When we look down, our friend Jesus calls us to look up at Him. He is the light in the darkness and the steady hand in the storms of life. His love for us is unparalleled.
John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.[2] To hear more about being a friend, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/seeking-the-lord-changes-my-life-paralyzed-man-friends
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.