Roof Diggers #1
| A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that He had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 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, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark2:1-5) |
It's so gripping:
- A crowd (probably because the healed leper didn't keep quiet.)
- A tragically sick man with really really good friends
- The drama of the wrecked roof
- The strange approach Jesus takes to the healing
- The criticism of the teachers of the law answered
We'll spend a few days on this one. For today I just want to reflect on beauty of friendship and faith in youth.
The fact that this paralytic man had four friends willing to make the efforts and take the risks they did says a lot - both about the man and his friends. One can only assume that carrying him around was "old hat" to them. I can imagine the quips, jokes and banter amongst them. So when it becomes known that Jesus is in town and that He's even healed a leper, they don't hesitate. "Let's get you to Jesus!" (That's still the best thing one can do for a friend: to bring them to Jesus.)
The building is crowded, people are wedged in tight, nobody's moving, not even for a paralysed guy and his four buddies. So they make a radical and downright crazy decision: "Let's go through the roof!" (This is what convinces me that they are young men... Older guys would just not be so impulsive - they'd be more cautious - "let's just wait till the crowd goes...") And so one guy is sent off for rope while the other three tackle the combination of grass, clay and interwoven sticks that made up the roof.
Imagine being in the house while Jesus is speaking. All of of a sudden there's scrabbling and dust. Some of the smaller bits of start falling through. "What on earth? Look out! Here comes a stretcher." I think Jesus is grinning from ear to ear at this point as he witnesses love in action. I think He'd be breathless with beauty of faithfulness and devotion. And healing must most certainly follow.
Later that day or early next morning four friends and their newly walking buddy return to the house to repair the roof. Their hearts are full, their eyes are shining. They went on an adventure of faith together and it was worth it all.
Maybe we all need to be a little more like them...
