Compelled to Compassionate Action
By Rachael Adams
“Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, 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 by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.” - Mark 2:3-4
My dad very rarely misses my kids' extracurricular activities. He makes an effort to attend as many of their events as his schedule allows, regardless of the weather or the location of the activity. Whether on the sidelines, court, bleachers, pool deck, or auditorium stage, my kids can look up to see his smiling face there to support them. He did the same thing for my brothers and me growing up. We knew we were his priority, and his effort to show up was proof. He doesn't have to be there, but he wants to be, and it makes my children and I feel loved.
It means so much when people make an effort for us. God appreciates our effort too. As unfathomable as it seems, God chooses to use us to fulfill his purposes on earth. He could easily do it all on his own, and there is no doubt he is in control, but he often requires our participation before he acts. Scripture shows that he works through those willing to make an effort for him.
Of course, our levels of effort can vary, but one of my favorite examples of a display of extra effort is from Mark 2. It all started when people heard that Jesus had come home to Capernaum. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left in the house where Jesus was, not even outside the door. As Jesus preached the word to the people, four men came, carrying a paralyzed man. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he forgave the paralyzed man. He then told the man to "get up, take your mat and go home." So the man got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone, and they all praised God (Mark 2:1-12).
After reading this account and putting myself in the place of these four friends, I wonder if it would have occurred to me to help my paralyzed friend in the first place. I want to think I would have, but the more likely scenario is that I would have been more concerned about hearing Jesus or getting healing for myself.
Even if I had the intention of helping my friend, seeing such a large crowd would have caused me to hesitate. When I realized the door was blocked, I'm not sure I would have pursued an alternative and likely would have given up, shrugging my shoulders and proud of myself for trying. But these men didn't stop at the crowd or the door; instead, they plotted and planned an alternative route. And this route involved a lot of effort.
Houses in Bible times were built of stone with flat mud roofs mixed with straw. These men carried their friend up the outside stairway to the roof. It took four of them, so he must have been heavy. Once they were on top of the house, they took apart as much of the mud and straw mixture as was necessary to lower him in front of Jesus. Digging a hole and lowering him down took a lot of work! They allowed no obstacle to prevent them from helping their friend.
In this story, I also notice the effort of the paralyzed man. If you'll remember, Jesus first healed the man's spiritual life, forgiving his sins because of his friends' faith. But then, for his physical body to be healed, Jesus required effort from him. The paralyzed man had to get up, take his mat, and go home. The man obeyed, and, as a result, he received his healing, but not until he took action.
I'm convicted as I read this short story of faith, action, and effort. Personally, it causes me to ponder if God is waiting for me to show effort and take action before healing me physically and spiritually. Is he waiting for you? On a communal level, am I moved to act when I see a need? These are challenging thoughts. Some so many people have physical and spiritual needs we can meet. Human need moved these four men. I pray we also allow human need to compel us to compassionate action. Let's make an effort and allow nothing to stop us from bringing others to the feet of Jesus.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see the need of others. Be intentional to prioritize meeting those needs.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for meeting all my needs. I come to your feet for healing. Forgive me for not being concerned about the needs of others, being lackadaisical, and giving up too soon. Strengthen me and embolden me to care for others enough to bring them to you. Amen.
Further Reading:
Mark 2
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Darren Tierney
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