Are we willing to do the unconventional in our pursuit of Jesus?
In Mark 2:1-12, Mark records a fantastic story of a paralyzed man being lowered through the roof of a home in Capernaum. I can’t help but think this story would make a great Hollywood movie. It has all the elements.
The plot of the movie would appear to deal with the struggle of a man suffering from paralysis and his plight as he seeks help. Four men, desiring to help their friend, surround him and the five of them set out on a quest to find the healing so badly needed.
They decide Jesus can provide the healing they seek, so they embark on an adventure to get the sick man in front of Christ. Confronted with obstacles they devise an unconventional plan: they would lower the man through the ceiling of the crowded home where Jesus is teaching. This was a Hail Mary attempt, but these guys were determined and they had faith.
But then there’s a twist. Instead of healing the man of his paralysis, Christ forgives his sins; something he needs even more than physical healing. Jesus goes above and beyond.
But of course, there are the antagonists: those scribes who thought Jesus was blasphemous – that he lacked the authority to forgive sins. To set them straight and prove that he, in fact, is the Son of Man, Jesus heals the man of his illness, instructs him to get up, take his mat and go home. And that’s exactly what he does.
Drop the mic.
My imagined movie would be more than just a good story. It, of course, would be a movie based on a true story. And it’s a story with practical implications to us: Do we have the kind of faith that these five men had? Do we really believe that Jesus has the power to heal our bodies, and more importantly, to forgive our sins? Are we willing to do the unconventional in our pursuit of Jesus? Is our faith the kind described in Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
