His Love Frees

Some men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. (Luke 5: 18-19)

I had a diabetic ‘hypo’ recently, which was the worst I had suffered for a long time. I think I injected insulin too soon, or perhaps had over exercised, and I ended up slumped on the floor waiting for the extra carbohydrates I’d eaten to kick in. I felt very unwell. My wife helped me, my girls asked if I was ok, and my little boy kept hugging me. It took a couple of hours before I felt completely better but I was glad of their support.

It’s very rare indeed for me to have such a dramatic sugar level drop but when it happens it’s frightening to get blurred vision, intense weakness and a sense of looming unconsciousness. It was a relief that my family was there! These things are hard to face alone. We need to be a part of little communities, with our family and friends. 

The church is another such ‘body’ which has “many parts,” as taught in 1 Corinthians 12. Some churches misinterpret this to mean a  Sunday meeting and that’s all. But what does a Christian community ‘do’ during the other six days, if there is no relating to each other? What does an unwell person ‘do’ if he feels he belongs on a Sunday but nowhere else for the rest of the week?

The friends in this biblical passage about the paralysed man show us what church is meant to be like. They are united in love for their friend and he doesn’t need to feel embarrassed about his vulnerability. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor.’

These friends are similarly dedicated to the paralytic man’s cause. There’s no sense of one of them walking away. Whatever priorities they face in their own lives, they sacrifice when they hear Jesus is in town and know there’s a chance for their friend to be healed. The paralysed man is physically carried by his mates and this gives them an opportunity to show Christlike love by tending to his helplessness. This love is not a type standing on the sidelines, spoken in words but without actions. They “made a hole.” With bare hands they stick fingers into tiles and clay, or whatever hardened material covers the house; and despite the pain and perhaps despite the bleeding caused, and rip it all off. They want to see their friend healed and they know Jesus is the healer. The roof is the barrier, so the barrier is removed. It’s pure faith and love in action. 

Are we so united to gather around in unity for those considered vulnerable in our congregations? With one heart and one mind do we understand that Jesus is the healer? Are we prepared to let our own priorities on a given day subside, to stand and advocate for those without any other friends? And do we carry such a fire for life in our hearts that we will stick our hands into clay, tile, rock – whatever – and rip apart any barrier which comes between the beloved-but-broken brothers and sisters in our churches, to bring them before the Lord for his light to shine on them? 

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