A Friend Like That

In Mark 2:1-5 Jesus came back to Capernaum and there were many people crowding him to listen to his preaching. It says that even the doors to the place where he was- was blocked off by a crowd. And yet four friends, broke through the roof of the house, to make a way in to Jesus. Four friends, climbed all the way to the top of a house, carrying their friend because they loved him so much they wanted him to be healed.

I love this story so much because this is what we are called to do, this is the Great Commission, and also the second commandment: loving others and bringing other people to Jesus. What a beautiful thing- what a gift that man had- that his friends knew that they had to take him to the Healer, whatever it would take because they believed that if their friend could just meet Jesus his life would be changed.

And it was changed. When the paralyzed man met Jesus, he was healed. Through his friends’ faith, he was healed. And his sins were also forgiven- he was given both physical and spiritual healing.

My question is this: How do we become that friend that lifts others up to Jesus? How do we carry people to Christ? And how do we gain that mindset that we will do whatever it takes, and make personal sacrifices, in order to try and take our friends to meet Christ?

And the second question I have is this: What friends do you have that carry you to Jesus?

Because God knows, we need those relationships. We were built for community to love each other. So I think while we need to be striving to be that spiritual leader and mentor, and help mate for our friends, we also need to pray that we are surrounded by those friends that are invested in Jesus and His love. By beholding we become change, who we surround ourselves by- we often become like. So let’s pray for those spiritual friends because they will be like cornerstones in our life lifting us up both spiritually in prayer and physically in our life. And let's pray to God that he would give us the courage to have that bold faith that believes on behalf of our friends- that lifts our friends up to the Lord.