APRIL 7 NEW SERMON SERIES: BALANCE (...and Fierce Friends)

MARK 2: 1-12

 “⁴And 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. ⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.”

^“8At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”?”

First a word about Balance.

I admit to being a victim of “burning the candle at both ends”.  This is a standard joke in my family, started off by the now famous cartoon my mother sent me from the newspaper.  I was in my mid-20’s and at the height of anxiety going to a Master’s degree program and striving for the next rung on the career ladder. The cartoon showed a man in a doctor’s exam room saying patiently to the doctor, “I know I am burning the candle at both ends.  I came to you for more wax”. 

So here I am, sitting in church, listening and reading the Scripture passage for the day and thinking, “how in the world does this passage apply to Balance?”  (Note the capitalization- I still have to think of balance as a major concept in my life.) And then at first, I find myself marveling at the miracle Jesus has just performed and comprehending that Jesus had to show, to demonstrate who he was, in order to get the attention of the scribes who were second-guessing faith. 

Rev. Jason then explained the situation of the passage.  Jesus has come back to Capernaum, and the news of his return has drawn a huge crowd.  There is such a throng in the house that people are literally spilling out the door.  Four people come carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.  They cannot get their friend close to Jesus, no one can or will make room for them.  So they climb the stairs to the roof, and literally chop a hole so that they can lower their friend down to the floor in front of Jesus. 

What an incredible image- a set of friends so dedicated that they will do the unthinkable and cut through the roof of another’s house.  These friends had such faith that Jesus would help their paralyzed friend, and Rev. Jason called them “Fierce Friends”. And Jesus recognized the friends' faith in Jesus and their faith in their friend, so that Jesus goes on to perform the healing of this paralyzed friend.

Fierce Friends are the friends who have your back. They are the “go to” crisis management team, the shoulder to cry on, the ultimate of every cliché but with the power to change your life. 

And hence, friends are crucial to balance in our lives. 

Rev. Jason mentioned that he would always want Fierce Friends. I could not agree more.   

Renewed Christian