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. –Mark 2:1–3
Most of us are fortunate enough to use our own two legs to get us where we want to go. Others are disabled either through birth, injury, or disease and become dependent on family and friends for mobility.
I have a friend who was disabled at the age of fourteen from a car accident. For her whole adult life she has been confined to a wheel chair. Despite her handicap, she is an incredibly joyful person with a multitude of friends.
About thirty years ago, I preached a sermon on Amram and Jochebed, the parents of Moses. I mentioned that if they had been afraid of the times, they would never have borne children and we would not have had Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
My friend and her husband listened with their hearts to that sermon. They had already decided that because of her condition they would not have children—it would just be too difficult to be a wheelchair mom. But the Lord spoke to their hearts not to be afraid of the circumstances. In time, a daughter was born and then a son. The daughter today serves with her husband and three small children as a missionary in Asia.
I think of my own friend when I read this story of the paralytic. What I note is that he had friends.
When tragedy happens to you, the wind can be knocked out of your sails. You can become bitter, withdrawn, sullen, full of blame, cynical, and almost impossible to live with. People who become that way have few friends. They’ve driven them away.
But this paralytic at Capernaum must have been like my own friend. He had lots of people who wanted to help him. We are told that four of them carried him, but there were actually more than that helping him because “some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.” In other words, there was a whole group—but only four of them were needed logistically for transportation.
The application from this story is inescapable. If you suffer, don’t turn bitter. Be the kind of person who keeps friends around. You will need them to carry you—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Two of my favorite sayings are: “What happens in you is more important than what happens to you,” and “The same wind that uproots a tree lifts a bird.” The paralytic, despite his suffering, had not permitted his spirit to become bitter. That’s why he still had plenty of friends. Nasty people don’t get carried around voluntarily.
Evidently when Jesus was in Capernaum at sundown a few days earlier (Mark 1:32–34), the paralytic and his friends had missed out; or perhaps they had tried to get near and were unsuccessful.
But Jesus is again available, and they are now determined not to miss this new opportunity.
How about you? Whether able or disabled, do you have a sweet and joyful spirit that invites others to be your friends?
A Prayer: Lord Jesus, life throws some pretty tough things at me. I need Your help to remain tender, pliable, and joyful. I want to follow the advice of the apostle Paul, “Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice!”
Excerpted from Dr. Wood’s forthcoming book, Fearless: How Jesus Changes Everything, available in September from Vital Resources.
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