In chapter two of the Gospel of Mark, there is this wonderful story about a paralytic:
Mark 2:1-6—When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (NRSV)
Jesus had become so renowned that he had a tremendous SRO (standing room only) crowd at the house. Then four people brought their friend who had been a paralytic to have Jesus heal him. The crowd was so big that the four friends actually went onto the roof and dug through it (can you imagine what the church board of trustees might say about that?) just so they could get their friend to Jesus.
What dedication! They could have told their friend that it was too crowded…maybe they could go another time. But they didn’t…they took the risk of digging through a roof, doing whatever it took to get to Jesus.
It makes me wonder about how you and I might let obstacles, distractions, and challenges keep us from getting to Jesus.
In the movie “The Untouchables,” Jimmy Malone (played by Sean Connery) asks Eliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner), “What are you prepared to do?”
What are we prepared to do when it comes to trying to reach Jesus? Let the other things in life take priority and squander opportunity in this time, in this moment to experience the life changing power of Jesus Christ? Or do we do everything we can to access the grace of Christ?
Something to think about, and something to hope for. Thanks for reading.
P.S. Did anyone recognize the song reference in the blog title?
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