Walking With Christ

Galatians 6:2  Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.(ESV)

True faith is not just personal—it’s lived out in how we carry each other.  I can have all the personal faith in the world, but if I won’t lift a finger to help a brother, especially when it causes me no harm, then what good is that faith?  If I am unwilling to inconvenience myself to help someone I profess to love, the how can I possibly help anyone?  Being unwilling to help because it’s inconvenient is not faith.  It’s not love.  If I can’t show true love and faith to those I claim to love then I deserve none in return.

John 15:13  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.(ESV)

What would you be willing to lay your life down for?  This is the thing you truly love.  Those people, places, things, and ideals that are worth the cost of your own life are the things that you truly love.  True love and faith does not let petty obstacles get in the way.  Faith is what connects to the love required to move mountains.  For those you love, the world will not be able to stand in the way.

Mark 2:1-12  (1)When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.  (2)Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door.  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.”  (6)But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, (7)“What is he saying?  This is blasphemy!  Only God can forgive sins!”  (8)Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?  (9)Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?  (10)So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.”  Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, (11)“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”  (12)And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers.  They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”(ESV)

Most people read this story and read it as it’s taught by most pastors today.  It was such an amazing miracle that Jesus performed.  He healed the paralyzed man because of the faith of his friends!  This is an amazing story and needs to be understood from this perspective.  Unfortunately, this is where most people stop with this story.  They never look deeper into what really happened here.

The paralyzed man had four friends who were willing to physically carry him (his burden) to the place where he could not go to receive mercy, grace, and healing that he could not get on his own.

Let that sink in.

We have no idea if they carried him across the street or around the world.  We have no idea where they started, but we know where they ended.  They ended at the feet of Jesus with a friend who was healed through their faith.  We know that this miracle had nothing to do with the faith of the paralyzed man.  No, if it wasn’t for his friends he would have remained in that state of misery.  His friends loved him enough to not allow him to continue to sit in a state of brokenness and despair.  His friends were so concerned with HIS joy that they gave of themselves to make sure that he found Jesus.

Please, if you get nothing else from this message, please see, no FEEL, the love these friends showed.  This is the love we are called to have for each other.  This is the love we are called to share with the world.  This kind of love makes a way when there is no way.  This kind of love is what created the world and led that creator to die on the cross to pay for the sins of the created.

John 13:35  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.(ESV)