Reading: Mark 2:1-12
Four people carry a sick person to Jesus. Due to palsy his life is restricted to bed and his world is very small. For many reasons we too restrict our lives. These four people help him come out of his small world. They carry him to Jesus, the creator of mankind and universe but are unable to enter the house where Jesus was preaching the word because of the crowd. Amazingly no one in the crowd was willing to give way for the bed-ridden sick man. But those four ignored the stubborn nature of the crowd and decided to carry him through the roof top. People may become a stumbling block in our way when we do God’s will but God will lift us up high.
“…………... When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.“Isaiah 59:19
Those four people signify a praying community. As the people gathered together in the name of Jesus are bothered about their own needs thereby neglecting others. God chose a praying community. But even they are at times astonished by the attitude of hypocrites and stumble because of infirmities. But God helps them.
“— Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“Romans 8:26
Now the praying people located Jesus and uncovered the roof, the block, and they placed the sick person exactly in front of Jesus. This is the miracle of prayer. Nothing can stop it.The remarkable thing that we should notice here is that no one said a word against them when they uncovered the roof.
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2
Prayer transforms us and unites us with Christ and fulfils God’s will. If we pray, we can do great things for His glory. Due of lack of prayer, we are unable to conduit the miraculous power of Jesus to people across the world. People dogmatically argue that miraculous deeds of Jesus had ceased after the death of His disciples. Dr. Grant R. Jeffrey in his book “Unveiling Mysteries of the Bible” dealt with the topic “The Mysteries of When Miracles and Healing Ceased” and he has brought out the fact of continuing Miracles and Healing from AD 100 to AD 1546 quoting various official records of historians. He wrote that “If space permitted, I could quote from a variety of church authorities over the centuries that followed who witnessed the continued operation of supernatural miracles”. His logic is that as our Lord is the same forever His deeds will also be the same.
“For I am the Lord, I change not;“ Malachi: 3:6
If our Lord is the same, then why do miracles and healings not happen? The answer is that no one looks at Jesus. Everyone looks at the obstacles. No one has compassion for others like Jesus has.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Mark 2:5
Here Jesus saw the faith of the people who carried the sick to Him and forgave the sins of the sick person. These four people had the same compassion of Jesus in them. This compassion comes from love. Paul in 1st Corinthians 13:1 describes the power of love. If we do anything without love then that would be of no use. The crowd that surrounded Jesus in that house did not have this love. Those who do not have this love will always find fault in others. Finding fault is Satan’s primary job. If we start assuming the reasons for a person’s suffering then it is evident that we are in Satan’s hands. In Revelation 12:10 we can see the name of Satan as an accuser. If Jesus is in us, we cannot accuse any one. Instead we would stand with them to pass on the love of Jesus in their life. If a person in our family, in our church or in our society is in trouble or is sick, it is our primary duty to pray for them. Whether they know Jesus or not is not an issue. They can be a sinner too. We should not see that. This is possible only if we love them and if we love them then we can also pray for them. Through our prayers their iniquities are being forgiven by our Lord. This is exactly what happened here.
“I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion“. Mark 2:11-12
James reiterated this in his book.
“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.“ James 5:15-16
With this I want to emphasise the fact that miracles and healings never stopped but the conduit ‘love’ is cut off to carry these miracles and healings to His people. Let us pray to have this Divine Love to fill our hearts.
“and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
God’s love and the Holy Spirit cannot be separated. If we believe that we are spirit driven people then we should also be a person filled with God’s love.
The Jordan Valley 
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