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 mat the paralyzed man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:3-5

When I read this passage, I had to stop and read it again.  A couple of things stood out to me in this passage:

1.  These men that were helping the paralytic were not referred to as his friends.
2.  Jesus helped the paralytic based on the men’s faith.

This passage, even in the other Gospels, is kind of vague. It leaves a lot to question…for instance,

• Who were these men that had so much faith in Jesus that they were willing to climb onto a roof, dig through it, and lower a man down…when they may or may not have been his friend?
• Why did they care so much?
• Did the paralytic have faith?

This passage doesn’t say.  This passage actually focuses heavily on the men who brought the paralytic.  Regardless of the answers to these questions one thing remains a fact—Jesus healed the paralytic because of the four men’s faith.  I’ve read over this passage before, and I clearly remember being under the impression that the man asked to be taken to Jesus and he was healed because he believed.  But upon re-reading this passage, I am very baffled by the fact that Jesus healed the man because of the other men’s faith.

This passage is proof that believers are essential to non-believers’ lives.  We are not meant to be sectioned off.  We are not to be put on a pedestal.  We are not better than non-believers.  We are guides, helpers, and intercessors.  Not only can our faith be of use to the non-believer, but believers can help other believers, too.  Our faith is not just our faith. Our faith can extend to the lives around us.  And sometimes that’s what we need.  We need others to believe for us and with us.  This is why fellowship is important.

Faith—your faith—is for more than just you.
Share it. Use it. It has great power.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, help us to understand that our faith can reach further than just our own lives and the lives of those immediately around us.  Show us that our faith is potentially useful to all those that we encounter.  Amen.