They do. They don’t just talk.
July 16, 2010 (Friday)
In the Gospel of Mark, there is an account of a man who was brought by his friends to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus was in Capernaum, teaching in someone’s house, and the crowds were tremendously large, so that no one could get near Jesus. These four friends found a way.
The man they brought to Jesus was disabled, and lying on a mat. The men who carried him went up on the roof of the house, tore a hole in the roof, and lowered the sick man into the house, in front of Jesus.
Jesus immediately said to him, “Your sins are forgiven.” The religious leaders who were there thought, “Only God can forgive sins. Who does this man think He is?” Jesus responded to their thoughts, and answered them aloud, “”Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Here’s what the four men did for their friend: 1. They loved him. 2. They helped him. 3. They brought him to Jesus. We can be friends like that to someone today.