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February 14 2020

Feb. 16 Senatobia District Devotion
Amanda Gordon
Title: “Can You Carry Someone Long Enough?”
Scripture: Mark 2:1-5
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at
home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in
front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came,
bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not
bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after
having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus
saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
I recently heard a sermon on this passage from Mark 2 and a particular question
that the preacher asked really spoke to me: Can you carry someone long enough
without dropping them when they fall below your standards?
We are surrounded by people each day who are paralyzed, not necessarily
physically, but by things that have happened (or are happening) to them. People are
paralyzed by divorce, addiction, childhood trauma, unfulfilled expectations,
discouragement, fear, grief…the list goes on. When someone is paralyzed they are
unable to move; they will need the help of others. Who is it in your life that needs you to
help them move toward Jesus?
In Mark 2, there are four compassionate people who are willing to carry a
paralyzed man to Jesus. We don’t know how long or how far they had carried him. We
don’t know if the journey had been difficult or easy. What we do know is that when an
obstacle arises and the house is so crowded that they can’t get inside, they don’t just
drop the paralyzed man at the door and say, “Well, that’s the best we can do.” They
continue to carry him and actually lift him up and find a way for him to encounter Jesus
and be healed by Jesus; it’s their faith that leads to the man’s healing.
It’s amazing what faith on our part can do for another. Believing in someone and
helping them move forward in life to find hope and healing in Jesus is a fantastic gift we
can offer to the world. Sometimes we want to take the easy way and point people in the
direction of Jesus and leave it at that, but often what is needed is the willingness on our
part to carry another…and not be willing to drop them when they disappoint us or get
too difficult or fall below our standards.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you tell us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed that we
can move mountains. Help us to share our faith with those around us and be willing to
do the hard work of helping others and sometimes carrying others so that they may
encounter you. Thank you for those people in our lives who have carried us during
difficult times. Thank you, O God, that you never give up on us. Help us not to give up
on one another. Amen.