Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament are simple yet profound. Some chapters and verses are easy to read over and get the general thought of what He is trying to teach us. Some passages make perfect sense, some leave me speechless, some leave me puzzles, and others entice me to dig deeper for the full message God is trying to relay. One specific chapter in Mark, chapter 2, is a story of a group of friends who had faith that changed the fate of their friend.
“A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mad the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.� (Verses 1-5) The chapter goes on to tell how the paralyzed man was able to walk and many people were amazed and put their faith in God.
As we studied this passage today, my first thoughts were to look 
at this passage like I always do. Jesus healed a sick man because he had faith that Jesus had the power and authority to do so. There are plenty of examples of this ‘being healed by faith’ in the New Testament. Isn’t this just another example? But as we read more closely, I found an even deeper meaning to this passage, one I had not seen or thought of before. A meaning that has significance in my life also. I looked closely at verse 5: When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he said to the paralytic…. wait, what? It wasn’t the paralyzed man’s faith that healed him? It was the faith of his friends? So, we read the passage again looking closely at it from the point of view of the four friends that brought the man to Jesus. It was not one friend, but four. They saw the crowd gathered, but they did not see defeat. They took extreme measures (busting through a roof) to find a way to help their friend. They could have easily given up when they saw that they could not enter the building.
Is this how I am for my friends? Am I the kind of friend who gives up and is defeated? Or am I the kind of friend that the paralyzed man had. The kind who simply looks for another way to save his friend. If I can’t do it on my own, would I call on the help of others, or would I try to do it on my own? Would I break through someone’s roof?
I think about all of my friends who are still seeking. All of the friends and people I have encountered and known all of these years. If this gospel message I am sharing is really true and if I really do love them, the most important thing I can do is to care enough about them to share the message of Christ’s love for them and pray for their repentance. So why do I give up after being rejected one time? Shouldn’t I pray for them every day? Shouldn’t I have faith in God that He can change their hearts and open their eyes? Shouldn’t I push through the crowd, dig through the roof and lay them at the feet of Jesus and prove my own faith in Him? Shouldn’t I believe that my God is powerful enough to answer my prayers?
I’ve encountered so many obstacles this year while sharing my 
faith… other religions, atheism, loss of hope, and the list goes on. It is not my job to give up on anyone if I truly love everyone like I say I do. It is my job to continue to live a life that glorifies Jesus. I not only need to testify with my words, but also with my actions. I need to encourage my friends, continue to pray for them, and believe that God can save them. The only question is, do I have faith, the kind of faith that can move mountains, that God will answer my prayers? Will I fight for my friends, or will I give up and prove that I don’t really care for them and love them. Will I fight for my close friends at home or will I back down when my words are rejected? Will I fight for my new friends from Iraq who are like brothers to me now, or will I walk away defeated because I think it’s a ‘lost cause’ to minister to someone who believes the opposite of what I do? Will I fight for my brothers who are in prison in Mozambique, or will I walk away in defeated because they have broken the law and have hardened hearts? Will I fight for my sisters in Thailand who are working in the sex industry or will I turn my back on them in defeat because they are too far gone living in this lifestyle?
I can’t give up. I won’t stop fighting. I won’t stop praying. I chose to be one of the friends of the paralyzed man. I chose to have reckless faith. If I can’t do it on my own, I will call on the help of others. If there is something in my way, I will find another way.
I praise the Lord for all of the people who prayed for me and had faith that I would be here one day. I praise the Lord for the faith of my dear friend who prayed for his parents every day for 15 years, never turning away in defeat, until the Lord changed their hearts and they turned to Him. I chose to believe that God can save someone I care for even if they don’t chose it themselves because my faith is so strong! It reminds me of a song we like to sing as a squad (and this is what I chose to believe):
“Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other
Our God is healer, awesome in power, our God, our God
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?�
