Mark 2:2-3
“Soon the house where He was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While He was preaching God’s Word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.”
Large crowds have started to follow this unconventional teacher, all with different motivations. In the midst of the packed house where Jesus is teaching God’s Word, four men arrive late carrying their paralyzed friend. Just like the leper from Mark 1, this paralyzed man would have also been an outcast, told all his life that his sin had caused his condition. Most likely, he had tried to get better and gotten his hopes up, but nothing else had worked. The friends in this story came to the aid of their paralyzed friend despite the fact that he probably didn’t want to be there.
Respond
1. Ask yourself right now: “who is my ‘mat-bound’ friend (or friends)?” Who would you love to get to Jesus but there is something standing in the way? Make a list of those people and pray for them right now. Ask God to remove their spiritual disinterest and to give you opportunities to introduce them to Jesus.
2. Inviting your friends to church is one way to get them to Jesus. See here for some tips and ideas on how to do that.