Have you ever cut in line or been
in a line so long and moving so slow that you were tempted to push your way to
the front? Maybe you have been in the emergency room and knew your case was
much more urgent than those around you? I’m sure we can all relate to this
feeling of urgency and desperation.
“They
gathered in such large numbers 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 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. When
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son,
your sins are forgiven.'” Mark 2:4
I am amazed by the friendship of
the people who took the time and spent the effort necessary to carry their dear
friend to the foot of Jesus. They
carried him, who knows how far. Arriving
to where Jesus was, they found such a large crowd that they couldn’t get in to
see him. Some would give up here, but they pressed on. These men climbed the house that Jesus was in
and hoisted their friend up to the roof.
Then, they cut a hole big enough to lower him through. After all of this, they lowered him down to
Jesus. They essentially cut in line
because of the desperation they felt on behalf of their friend. Their friend
was sick, and hurting. Not only
physically; but also emotionally. A person with this great of a disability not
only feels the physical frustration, but is emotionally spent and drained and
depressed. They saw his great need. They felt for him. Unable to do anything to
physically fix his body, they did the only thing they could do. They carried him to the foot of the Healer. Anyway they could. It was all up to Him.
My heart relates to the friends in
this story.
I have seen friends hurt; and I
hurt for them.
I have seen loved ones ill and have
been unable to do anything for them.
I have known the desperation of
having a large gap between where the front of the
line is, and felt like I am at the
end of the line.
Why is it that we think to pray after
everything else has been tried or we have no other
option?
Why does praying feels like such an
idle thing to do to help someone?
I think of the hymn which states, “
what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer”. It is here I am reminded that this is the
best thing I can do for a friend. God is
able. When ability and distance separate me from being able to do something
tangible, prayer is the most active thing I can do for my friend in need. It is
essentially climbing up to the rooftop, cutting a hole and lowering them to the
feet of the Healer.
THAT is a privilege.