Dreamers and Doers
1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. - Mark 2:1-12
As I read through this passage of Scripture recently, I couldn't help but chuckle at the image of four men carrying their paralyzed friend on a mat, tearing through a roof to get him to Jesus. Talk about dedication, right?
But as I read further, I realized this story is about more than just a group of determined friends. It's about the power of community and the importance of taking responsibility for those around us.
Think about it: if just one of those men had said, "Nah, I'm good. Somebody else can carry him," the whole plan would have fallen apart. But instead, they all stepped up and did their part. They didn't worry about who was better equipped or more qualified. Neither did they concern themselves with who had more free time on their hands or who they felt needed to be more involved. Each man saw a need and filled it.
And that's a lesson we can all take to heart, whether we're in ministry or not. We can't just sit back and wait for someone else to take the lead. We can’t expect others to perform the tasks we want to see done. We need to be both dreamers and doers, visionaries and implementers.
So, how can we apply this to our own lives? For starters, we can look for opportunities to serve those around us. It could be volunteering at a local food bank or mentoring a young person in our community. Perhaps the church is hosting an event and would appreciate willing hands to help prepare and serve. Maybe it’s setting aside the early morning hours to write inspirational and emotional content that will help and bless others. Whatever it is, let's not be afraid to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.
But it's not just about taking action. It's also about being willing to support one another. Just like those four men carried their friend on a mat, we must be willing to carry each other's burdens. That might mean offering a listening ear, a helping hand, or a word of encouragement.
And when we do that, we're not just building stronger relationships. We're also creating a community that reflects the love and grace of Jesus. So, let's be like those four men in Mark 2. Let's be willing to carry each other and, in doing so, carry the message of hope and healing to a world that desperately needs it.
As I finished reading the passage, I couldn't help but smile. It’s a funny image: four guys tearing through a roof to get their friend to Jesus. But it's also a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we step up, work together, and take responsibility for those around us. So let's be dreamers and doers, friends. Let's be like those four men and carry each other to Jesus.