What Kind of Friend Are You? 14 February 2008

Mark 2:1-12
Thursday, 14 February 2008

Although I would never be mistaken for Emily Post, I am, however, something of a stickler for maintaining boundaries and decorum. Rather than asserting myself in a new setting, I much prefer to be introduced by someone else. I don't show up unannounced even at the homes of my closest friends and certainly not uninvited to the home of a stranger. But if one of those same friends were in trouble and needed my help, decorum and boundaries would have to take a hike.

That's what is so impressive about the commitment and audacity of the four men in the text whose assessment of their friend's need epitomizes the saying, "Desperate times call for desperate measures." After a series of successful healing and teaching campaigns in the surrounding area, Jesus has returned home. Quickly his house fills with needy persons petitioning for his assistance and listening attentively to his teaching. In the midst of this scene comes the unexpected as four faithful friends remove the roof, dig through the ceiling, and lower a paralyzed man into the presence of Jesus. The Bible does not say much about either the man or his friends, except that the four friends had exceptional faith. By the end of the scene, the paralytic man who had to be carried in by four others is not only able to walk out on his own two legs, but is also able to carry his bed with him.

There is a place of godly audacity, a space of holy passion that is kindled in compassion for others. Sometimes we discern that Jesus is in the house and we determine to do whatever it takes to bring the petitions and needs of others before his presence. Faith and faithfulness require that we exercise our desperation on behalf of others. In this way, we truly show what kind of friend we are, just as Jesus through his sacrifice demonstrated what kind of friend he is.

Sing, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

Let us pray:
Loving God, we exult in the privilege we have to be known as friends of God. We give thanks for the atoning sacrifice that restored fellowship between God and humanity and healed our brokenness. Inspire us in your loving example to push past the boundaries that would divide us and keep us diseased. Help us to be faith-filled friends of God and faithful friends to one another, through Jesus Christ who loved us and tore down all the barriers to our friendship. Amen