The Breakthrough of Spontaneity

I recently listened to a sermon on Mark 2, the passage where a paralytic was carried by four friends to Jesus.  It had been widely proclaimed Jesus was in a house in Capernaum and thus many people flocked to hear Him preach the word of God.  It was so crowded people could not even make their way near the door.  Mark 2:4-5 says, "And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

With divine insight Jesus looked through the dust and din and observed the faith of these men who removed the roof to bring their friend to Jesus.  It is very likely Jesus recognised the faith of the paralytic in Him as well, for he may have urged them in his desperation for healing.  It occurred to me as I considered this passage what a fitting picture it is of the church:  to bring people to a personal encounter with Jesus.  In applying the passage personally I pictured myself as one of the four men who broke through to lower their friend to Jesus; I saw myself as the paralysed man who desired to draw near to Jesus to overcome his weakness and lack of feeling.  If the ministry of the church seems frail and paralysed, wouldn't it be appropriate to bring it before the LORD with humility and faith in prayer?

It was faith in Jesus that motivated the men to united action to bring the paralysed man to Him.  They obviously cared for the man enough to lug him through a crowded space, somehow clamber up onto the roof, and get their hands dirty to remove enough roofing material to make room to lower their friend.  It was a united, team effort that was undeterred by obstacles or social norms, a willingness to do whatever they could to give their friend an audience with the LORD.  What struck me most of all was the spontaneity of their actions.  This was not something they had rehearsed several times and waited for there to be a crowd large enough to justify ripping a roof apart.  It was all done on the fly:  they brought the man on the bed but needed to source ropes, discussed the means to carefully carry their friend up, worked together to lower him down, and likely helped put the roof back together.

This passage taught me this sort of spontaneity to bring people to Jesus can be sorely lacking in my life and ministry of the church.  Ministry is stunted when people are not led by faith in Jesus, by divisions, people going off on their own agendas apart from Jesus, and unwillingness to get their hands dirty to bring people to Him.  It is easy to unite at a certain time, place or for an activity, but the real challenge is to remain led by faith in Jesus Christ to bring people to Him when difficult obstacles stand in the way.  The faith of these men in Jesus to heal their friend--and even to forgive his sins--moved them to meet challenges together with united effort.  A breakthrough was needed, and their eyes were opened to an opportunity others never even considered which resulted in forgiveness, healing and new life.

It wasn't the activity of breaking through roofs and lowering people to Jesus that is the main point.  This did not become a formula to seek healing or forgiveness.  The point is faith in Jesus Christ moves people to unite in our efforts to bring people to Him even when it means work, is costly and we are on the hook for repairs.  Faith in Jesus results in spontaneous efforts to bring people to Him so they too can walk by faith in obedience to Him.  Having been adopted into the family of God, our sins forgiven, we are to walk in the truth of the Gospel to glorify our LORD and Saviour Jesus.  We are to be united in fellowship with Christians, working together (in person!) to bring people to Jesus because we love and trust Him.