Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Jesus was preaching
to a full house. Literally. People were packed in so tight that no
one was able to get through the door There were people who needed to
get through the door 4 friends were carrying their friend on a
stretcher. The man was paralyzed and they knew if they could get him
to Jesus he could be healed. Lesser men might have given up when they
saw the blocked door, but what these friends did has earned them a
place in scripture. They picked up the stretcher and climbed the
stairs to the roof. They dug a hole through the mud roof and lowered
the stretcher down into the room on ropes. Imagine you were there that
day. You were listening to Jesus and here scratching overhead. Then
dust starts to drift down on your head. You see sunlight shining into
the room followed by a man on a stretcher, his twisted body
quivering with excitement. You hear the murmurs of irritation around you and see Jesus silence them with a look. He looks up at the four friends and "saw their faith." Then He looks at the man on the stretcher and says the last thing they were expecting. "Son, your sins are forgiven." The murmurs start again. "No one can forgive sins except God.." Jesus says to them, Which is easier? To say your sins are forgiven or to say take up your bed an walk". But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Many of us, are paralyzed. Not paralyzed physically, but paralyzed by fear, guilt, shame or bondage to addiction of some type. We know that Jesus can heal us and help us, but we can't seem to get there. Maybe it's because we don't feel worthy or because we are just too beaten down to try. Fortunately, we are part of a body. Hopefully you have friends you can lean on like the paralyzed man did. I am grateful for my friends who can do lift me up when I can't do it on my own. It is hard to accept their help sometimes. I was taught to rely on myself and I feel as vulnerable as the paralyzed man did being lowered through the roof. Sometimes it's easier to be the friend on the roof than the person needing help. We need to accept help when we need it so we can give it when someone else needs it.
Galatians 6 talks about this giving and receiving.
Brothers,[a] if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
We may also resist going to Jesus for help. I was asking for prayer for doubt once an I was told that I did not doubt that God would do what I was asking. I was afraid that he wouldn't do it for me. One of my life verses is Zephanaiah 3:17
’The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.’
We know where to go for help and we know how to get there. Take heart and take help.
