PERSISTENT LOVE AND CONFIDENT FAITH

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

(Mark 3:2-12 provided the skeleton for this story.)

 

John awoke but kept his eyes closed. He breathed in the dry smelly air from within his small dirt home. He lay still, afraid to move, lest he remind himself of his paralyzed condition. He cherished those early moments in the mornings when he could pretend that he would get up, fix himself some breakfast and then be off for a day of good hard labor. Such was his former life. Now paralyzed, he was a castoff member of society.

 

Considered useless by most and worthless by others, he relied upon the few close friends he still had for support. His companions were invaluable to him. They would come and help him prepare his food, change his clothes and even help him go to the bathroom. They were worth a world of riches to him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of how much he cared about them. He owed them so much. Oh how he loved them.

 

“Hey John” shouted one of his friends from outside.

 

Startled, John opened his eyes and was instantly transported back to the reality of his condition.

 

“That you Andrew,” he replied.

 

“Yes John. Peter and I have a surprise for you today.”

 

“What have you gone and done now?”

 

“We’re going to take you to see Jesus.”

 

“The teacher everyone is talking about?” replied John.

 

“Yes John. They say he can heal the blind, restore hearing and even make the lame walk again.”

 

John wiped the tears from his eyes as he tried not to think of such a possibility. He couldn’t bear the disappointment of hoping to walk again and having it not happen.

 

“Andrew I don’t think you and Peter should go to such trouble. Just come and help me make breakfast and possibly later we can go and hear him teach.”

 

“No John, Peter and I have already made up our minds. We’ve got some bread for you to eat on the way and we have made a stretcher for you to lay your mat on. We’re all set to carry you there. We insist.”

 

Knowing their past persistence in caring for him he knew he could not refuse them.

 

“Okay, okay. Come help me clean up and I’ll go. I’d never hear the last of it if I didn’t agree.”

 

Peter arrived with some bread. Andrew and Peter helped John clean himself. They placed the stretcher they had made upon the dirt floor next to him. John rolled to the side with their help. They shook off his mat and placed it on the stretcher and then lifted him onto his well-worn mat. They then proceeded out of the small house and down the street in hopes of asking Jesus if he would heal John of his infirmity.

 

They had gone several blocks through town when they noticed a large crowd ahead. John could not see very well because he was lying on his mat.

 

“What’s happening? What’s happening?” John asked.

 

“I’m sure it’s Jesus. He draws such large crowds. Some come to hear him teach, others come to be healed, some come for the excitement and still others come to catch him in an error with his teaching.”

 

John became excited over the possibility of seeing such a man of God. He had heard stories from his neighbors, Andrew and Peter about his teaching and miracles. Oh if only he could heal him.

 

“I can’t see. I can’t see him. Is he there?”

 

“I believe I see him John,” replied Peter.

 

“Andrew, how in the world are we going to get close enough to speak with Jesus about John? The crowd is too large. There is no way we can get the stretcher through that mass of people.”

 

“I have an idea Peter. See that small hill by the side of that house?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I believe if we can carry John up on that hill we can reach the roof of that small house. Then we can proceed from its roof to the next roof and the next until we reach the house that Jesus is in.”

 

“So? Once we’re on the roof of the house that Jesus is in what good does that do John?”

 

“We can then break into the roof of the house and lower John down into the room Jesus is in with the ropes we have strapped the stretcher together with.”

 

“But we will be destroying someone’s roof!”

 

“Peter, our friend John is more important than a roof. We can offer to mend the roof after Jesus has healed John. Once Jesus heals John, he can even help us with the repair. Three men are even better than two when it comes to such a task.”

 

“I see you have great faith Andrew. I think you are right. If everything I have heard about this Jesus is correct, he and only he will be able to heal John. It is worth the risk. What do you say John.”

 

John was worked up by now. He had given up all efforts of suppressing his hopes of healing. He could sense God’s presence in the air. He could hear Jesus’ words coming from inside the house. The words were muffled but still discernable. The crowd though large had grown strangely silent as the man of God spoke.

 

“Let’s go. I want to walk again. I believe this man is from God and brings deliverance and healing.” shouted John.

 

Andrew and Peter strained with the stretcher as they lifted John. They climbed the small hill and made their way across the rooftops almost dropping John on several occasions. They reached the larger home within which Jesus was teaching. They placed John on the roof and then began digging into the mud covering with branches they found on the rooftop. They quickly broke the outer shell of the roof and then began stabbing and tearing at the matrix of thatch that was underneath. Dust and debris filled the air as Andrew and Peter dug with passion for their friend. John prayed as they dug.

 

Inside the house Jesus continued teaching as those inside the house glanced upward at the ceiling wondering what the strange sounds were. Finally a large fragment of the ceiling came crashing down and exploding onto the floor below. Bright daylight streamed into the room and two silhouettes of human heads appeared in the hole above. A small smile appeared on Jesus’ face. Most everyone else gazed in amazement as the heads disappeared and hands appeared along the edges and began tearing away to enlarge the hole. Soon a huge gap had been created in the ceiling. Jesus and the crowd of people had by now moved to the walls of the room to avoid being hit by falling thatch and hardened mud plaster. Men and women gazed back and forth between Jesus and the hole expecting Jesus to intervene but he never interfered nor spoke a word. He just smiled.

 

Then as Jesus and the crowd of people watched the two men above began lowering a crude stretcher that carried a man lying paralyzed on a woven mat. It inched lower and lower as the men strained with care above. Sweat dripped onto the dirt floor from the faces of Andrew and Peter forming tiny puddles of thick mud. Finally John lay before the Son of God beaming with a huge anxious smile. As soon as Jesus saw the face of John he said,

 

“Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

 

Jesus glanced over at the Pharisees and the teachers of the law in the crowd. He knew what they were thinking. “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” He then asked a question of all those present.

 

“Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .”

 

Jesus looked at John and with a strong but sensitive voice stated,

 

“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

 

John wasted no time. His faith was exploding within him. He sensed the long forgotten sensation of feeling in his legs. He immediately stood up in front of all those present, took his mat and began walking out of the house. He glanced over at Jesus and with tears streaming down his face whispered,

 

“Thank you Jesus. Praise be to God. You are our Savior.”

 

Then John left the house, met up with Andrew and Peter who were crying like babies for their friend who had been healed. The three of them danced down the street shouting praises to God at the top of their lungs. Each of them thought what fun it would be to return tomorrow and repair the roof they had destroyed with John’s help of course.

 

Everyone they left behind at the house was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said,

 

“We have seen remarkable things today.”