True Friends are Hard to Find

Mark 2 Jesus has been about His Father’s business as he walked about Galilee. One thing is certain, Jesus made friends easily and not only listened but then acted if there was a need. How often do we listen but not meet the needs of others?

A sign of a true friend is one who goes beyond the normal to the extraordinary, as we see in the story of the paralytic. Here are four young men whose love for a friend would take them to find a way to meet Jesus. They tried the normal entrance, but it was impossible because of the crowd, so they climbed the house to the top and removed the roof! How extraordinary! How clever! They did not let the problem stop them until they found a solution to help their friend. Do we move heaven and earth to help a friend, or do we come and say we tried, but it is impossible? What kind of friends are we to the ones in need?

Jesus saw not just a need for physical healing but a need for spiritual healing, and so he pronounces: “Your sins are forgiven!” Yet, the naysayers who had a front-row seat scoffed and said he was blaspheming. It is no different today. We meet the naysayers who scoff. Do we press on or let their words deter us from bringing others to the Healer?