And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ~Mark 2:5
I’ve never been paralyzed or wheelchair bound. But I have been on crutches for six weeks post-surgery and temporarily bedridden after back surgery. What I noticed was slightly alarming. The pain forced immobility, but I was comfortable on the couch watching movies. I was waited on. I had no expectations. I slept a lot. It was nice. And it was incredibly alarming at the same time when I realized I could easily stay in that space.
That couch is comfy. I love being waited on. It was fun watching television and movies all day long without guilt or responsibility!
That’s the alarming part isn’t it? We get used to it. We become victims in our own story. Habits form, and then change is hard. Sometimes the most difficult thing is making a decision to get up and walk, but sometimes that doesn’t even work.
We’ve all been there. Many reading this can relate to the man in the story of the paralytic. You can walk but maybe you’re paralyzed with grief, bondage to sin, dealing with divorce, stuck in an unhealthy relationship, or bitter with unforgiveness to someone who hurt you.
That’s the problem with the man on the stretcher. He never speaks. He is never named. In fact, the only thing he brought to this story is his brokenness and his willingness. He is anonymous in his own story. Or, is it his story at all?
What Mark records in verse 5 is theology-changing: “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
What!
Jesus forgave and later healed the man not because of his faith but “theirs”!
Their faith was the catalyst for his healing and forgiveness! Men on the roof are few and far between. You don’t invite yourself onto another man’s roof. You must be invited to carry his burdens (Galatians 6:2). Men on the Roof have the power to change me by the power of their faith. Their faith calls me up to a higher level in Christ. It may be a father. It may be a friend. It may be a pastor.
If you want to change your life, then change your Men on the Roof. If you want to grow in your faith, then change your Men on the Roof. I firmly believe that you are only as good as those who have your back. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Pray for God to show you potential men to lift you up.
