Read Mark 1-4
And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. – Mark 2:4
I love Mark’s passion for writing about the ministry of Jesus. His audience, the Roman Gentiles, liked action and they liked to read about the things Jesus did. The book of Mark is full of action as it tells of the healings, casting out of demons and other miracles that Jesus performed such as calming the storm at sea with His voice.
But, tucked away in the midst of all this excitement is a quiet, but important lesson, that I glean from reading Mark 2:4, Jesus heals a paralytic! Four men knew that if they could only get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, he would be healed. Their faith was strong and nothing was going to stop them. When they arrived they realized the crowds were too great to enter through the door. Determination led them to the roof, where they cut a hole in order to lower their friend into the room where Jesus was preaching. And because of their faith, Jesus healed the man.
After Jesus finished His sermon he left to head towards the sea. The crowds dispersed in different directions, while some still filled with excitement and awe, went out to tell others of the miraculous healing they had witnessed. But while reading this passage I began to wonder, who fixed the roof? Someone had to repair the hole in the roof, but who?
I think about the repairing of the roof as being a completion to the miracle. If they hadn’t cut a hole in the roof, they wouldn’t have gotten their friend to Jesus. If he hadn’t gotten to Jesus, the man would not have been healed. Had he not been healed some of the crowd would never have grown in faith and shared with others what they witnessed. And now the roof has to be repaired!
Think about different ways God can use you. No job is too big or too small, and who knows, maybe He has hand picked you to be part of a miracle for someone! So the question isn’t “is God calling you,” but rather, “are you willing to answer.” Watch for opportunities to “repair the roof!”
- Cindy Webb is the Connections Coordinator at Adventure Church
