February 10, 2023

Mark 2: 3, 4 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and . . . lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. (NIV)

You must know him by living closely with him, relating to him personally in every aspect of your life.*

For a few years my husband had the Sunday afternoon duty of taking communion to shut-ins. Occasionally, he talked me into going with him. There was one woman who sometimes was not at home when we got there – because she had gone out to lunch. Never mind that she hadn’t been well enough to attend church that morning or any other Sunday for years.

How many of us are like that woman – whether once in awhile or all the time? Or are we like the paralyzed man in this story – are we willing to do whatever it takes to get to Jesus? I’m not talking about dragging yourself to church on Sunday morning when you have the flu because you never miss church. I’m talking about making every effort to be with Jesus because you need what he has to offer – healing, comfort, salvation – and because you know that he wants to be with you. Being with Jesus involves regular church attendance but it is so much more than that. It is spending time in prayer, talking to him – not just asking for favors. We are with him when we open our Bibles and let his word speak to us and then we meditate on it and apply it to our lives. Being with Jesus is a lifestyle of faithful service.

Perhaps you are willing to do whatever it takes to get to Jesus, but how far are you willing to go to bring someone else to him? The paralytic’s friends were certainly willing to take extraordinary measures to accomplish it – and Jesus noticed their faith. They carried the man up to the roof, cut a hole through the ceiling, and lowered him down into the room where Jesus was surrounded by the crowd. Do you care enough about your lost friends to be persistent in your witness to them? Do you remember to pray for them daily? Do you look for opportunities to introduce them to Jesus? Will you be there for them when they need you? Will Jesus be impressed by your faith when you bring a friend to him?

No man ever saved his soul who devoted his whole time and energy to saving it; but many a man has saved it by being so concerned for others that he forgot that he himself had a soul to save.*