Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Mark 2:2b-5
2 While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
I love this story. Sure, no one can be forgiven and saved without faith, but the paralyzed man could never have gotten to Jesus without the help and faith of his friends. It’s a reminder to surround ourselves with people of faith.
But we’re also reminded that we’re not supposed to keep Jesus to ourselves, limiting ourselves only to our Church community.
Mark 2:16-17
16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Jesus was for everyone, but not everyone was in his inner circle.
So who is called to be Jesus’ disciples—his students? I imagine it involves a willingness to learn and grow, not just in thoughts and words but also in action. Like the paralyzed man’s friends, whose determination and faith in Jesus was so strong it moved them to action.
Don’t underestimate the influence of those closest to you or overestimate your ability to know and live out truth when surrounded by people who don’t. It helps to remember that we are called to follow Jesus’ example. However, we are not Jesus, nor the healer, in these stories.
On our good days, we are the paralyzed man’s friends or Levi/Matthew (Mark 2:13-17), trusting in Jesus so much that we know our friends need to meet him. But on all days, we are the sick, in need of a doctor. We are the paralyzed, in need of Jesus’ healing and forgiveness.
We are not meant to do life on our own. If Jesus surrounded himself with faithful community, how much more must we need people of faith to strengthen us?
Questions:
Who is in your inner-circle? How strong is their faith and character? Can you rely on them?
Who are the unchurched people in your life that you want to help introduce to Jesus?
Next Steps:
When determining boundaries with others, consider their faith and character.
Introduce your friends who aren’t Christ followers to Jesus through the way you live, and invite them to church!
If you only associate with Christ followers, find opportunities to get to know people outside the church, like—consider joining a club or getting involved in your neighborhood.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us with the honor of playing a role in changing lives by introducing people to you. We are not meant to do this life alone. Give us opportunities to show your light to people who don’t know you. Help us to be discerning in who we let influence us, and help us to be trustworthy, faithful friends to those around us. Above all, thank you for healing and forgiving us when we were once the ones who didn’t know you. May your will be done in us and through us. Amen.
This post was written by Payton Lechner, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.