Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. (Luke 5:18-19)

Motivated friends. That’s what they were. 

Jesus was known to be a dynamic teacher, a healer, and a miracle worker. Now he had come to their town and they were sure that if Jesus could meet their friend, the Lord would certainly restore his legs. The four men literally picked up their friend on his mat and carried him to the place Jesus was teaching.

As had become a standard occurrence, the crowd that gathered to hear Jesus was larger than the venue where the Rabbi was speaking so people stood at the windows, out the door, and all around the house hoping to hear a few words spoken by Jesus. They were longing to catch a glimpse of the teacher everyone was talking about.

By the time the four men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend, the crowds had beaten them to all the good seats. They could not even get into the house. They had missed their opening… or had they?

These highly motivated men did something bold. They crossed the line! In that time of history, and in that part of the world, most homes had a flat roof made of cross beams covered with branches and packed with mud. There was normally a staircase on the side or back of the house giving access to the roof. These structures were cost-effective, perfect for insulation on hot days, and apparently, they were not impenetrable! The four men climbed up and began to dig. They literally made a new entry point to the house above where Jesus was teaching. Once it was big enough, they lowered their friend through the newly designed skylight and into the lap of the teaching Rabbi.

Imagine the picture. 

What kind of moxie does it take to destroy a stranger’s roof, airlift a friend into a church service, and interrupt Jesus in the middle of a sermon? How motivated do you need to be to circumvent the norms of the day and deliver a broken friend to the One you know can heal him? 

Is there anyone you love enough that you would break social conventions and risk public embarrassment? Who loves you so much that they would throw the rule book out the window just to make sure you were healed? 

The power to heal in this story comes from Jesus. He is the source of all the strength we need. But let’s look at some of the other characters in this story for a moment. 

Do you see the power of community? These four friends model love, motivation, creativity, and tenacity in epic fashion. They empower their friend by walking with him… actually walking for him. They bring their buddy to the source of healing and place him before the only One who can restore a broken life. They enter the scene like a giant auger and drill through every obstacle between them and Jesus. Have you ever wished you had friends like that? Have you ever loved with such reckless abandon?

Now, notice the man on the mat. He allows others to minister to him and provide for him. He let them become his human chariot and demolition crew. They did for him what he could not do for himself, and he accepted their gift. 

What a beautiful picture of teamwork, partnership, the body of Christ, and family. What a vivid picture of the spiritual reality that in our weakness, one way God shows His strength is through the arms of others. In this case, they are literally carrying their friend. In other situations, God simply chooses to let the resources, muscle, compassion, and care of others become ours. 

One surprising source of strength God offers us is community. There are simply times when we need people to carry us. We can’t do it. We lack the strength, ability, or drive. In those moments God will often bestow the gift of community. Others come to our side, pick up our mat (with us on it), and carry us to the One who can heal, restore, and love us to health.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I will never forget it. I woke up and prepared my heart for a day like none other. I would conduct the funeral service for my mother, Patricia Ann Harney. The one who bore me in her womb pressed me out of her body and into the air of this world and loved me every day of my life. She was five foot no inches tall, red-headed, and loved with compassion I have rarely seen in another human. I loved her and she loved me. On this day I would stand before family and friends and lead a service to honor her, share the story of Jesus, and say goodbye to my mother.

The next day I would preach my first service at Shoreline Community Church. I was their new Lead Pastor and was committed to being there for my first weekend of worship services. What I did not expect was a group of church members and leaders to get on a plane and fly the 350 miles from Monterey to Fountain Valley, California. They did not know my mom. They had never met her. They knew me, a little. But when I stood up to lead the service and looked into the faces of these new friends, I felt supported, uplifted, and loved. They reached down to my mat of sorrow and picked me up. They carried me through that service with their prayers and love. I did not know how much I needed them until I felt them dig through the roof and lower me to Jesus. This moment bound our hearts together.