ONE OUT OF SIX
Today's reading: Mark 1-3
"Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat." Mark 2:3 NLT
There are six people involved in this, one of my favorite accounts in the Bible.
I believe each of us will find ourselves in one of the roles at one point in time or another...
Participant 1: Mat carrier. Quite possibly the one led to head up this mission. We will call him the Instigator or, Planner. The one led by the Holy Spirit to do a work where God would receive glory.
Participant 2: Mat carrier. I'm going to guess this was the Planner's best friend. Best friends get dragged in projects like this. We all need folks like good friends who will help us carry out the ideas that come rushing into our heads.
Participant 3: Mat carrier. This fellow probably at one time or another told the Planner that he was looking for a way to serve the Lord--and the Planner took him seriously. So he called him up and told him where to meet the rest of the team.
Participant 4: Mat carrier. I don't doubt that this participant wasn't a part of the ill man's family. Sickness and disease touches everyone--but praise be to God, so do healings! I think this guy went along, like he probably went along to every doctor visit, and got much more than he bargained for.
Participant 5: Paralyzed man. You know, God wasn't specific in saying what paralyzed this man. It might have been a disease. It might have been a childhood deformity. It might have been a fear that kept him from living the life God intended for him to live. Whatever had kept him from being up and about, it was no match for the power it was about to come in contact with.
Participant 6: Jesus. As I stated, you are currently playing the same role as one of the 'actors in this scene'. I will let you off the hook, you aren't Jesus. You are not in control. You are not all-knowing. You are not the one who is in charge of holding everything together. So you can quit trying if you have been wearying yourself and everyone around you out by trying.
Do you see yourself in this account?
One being led to do something? One being asked to help? One being touched by the goings-on around you because you chose to look for God-sightings? Someone completely blown away by God showing up where you least expected Him? Someone needing a touch?
