Sometimes You Can't Walk to Jesus. Let Others Carry You.
There’s a famous story in the gospels where Jesus heals a paralyzed man.
As Mark records it, Jesus is in Capernaum teaching a large group when some folks opened up the roof of the place to let down a paralyzed man—so that Jesus can heal him. Which he eventually does after forgiving him of his sins and garnering the frustration of the scribes and Pharisees who were there.
It’s a brief story.
And a familiar one.
This story is so familiar that I’ve never stopped to embrace its four supporting actors fully. Much of the story is focused on Jesus, the paralyzed man, and the disgruntled religious leaders.
But I’m amazed at the face that he was “carried by four men” (Mark 2:3).
Four men brought this man to Jesus. Four men were desperate for him to come to Jesus. Four men opened the roof and dropped him at the Messiah’s feet.
“And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the Paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven……I say to you rise, pick up your bed, and go home (Mark 2:5; 11).”
These four men didn’t let any obstacle—not even a perfectly sturdy roof!—get in the way of their friend’s deep need and the healing power of Jesus. This paralyzed man wasn’t alone, he was literally carried to Jesus by the faith of others.
I can’t help but wonder….how often is this our reality?
How many times have I been protected from the evil one or sustained in the midst of a trial because I’m being carried by the prayers of others?
How differently would circumstances have been or my life has turned out were it not for the faith of others?
How far have I—how far have we—made it simply because others have prayed, encouraged, carried, supported, and sustained us? Had great faith when we could barely muster up a mustard seed?
I’m confident it’s more than we’ll ever realize.
In mysterious, incredible ways, our lives are marked by the prayers, service, sacrifices, and faith of others. Many we know and many we don’t. And more often than we realize, we need to lean on the faith of others to carry us to Jesus’ feet.
So let others carry you.