Mark 2:3-4 – Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying (NKJV).
In the book of Mark Chapter 2, we come across a fascinating account. We have Jesus preaching the Word to a packed crowd. We also have a paralytic desperately in need of the saving touch of Jesus, but for obvious reasons could not get to Jesus on his own. Thank God he had faithful friends that were willing to lift him up to Jesus. Not only that, his friends were determined to ensure his matter reached the attention of Jesus. When they could not get through the crowd, they took him up to the roof and broke through it, effectively getting their friend in the presence of the only One that could help him.
The actions of these friends are a perfect illustration of what intercession is, taking the need for someone or something as your sole responsibility. Do you pray for anyone other than yourself or family? If you do, do you press on until the matter is concluded? That is what these friends did. This man’s healing became their mission; they carried the weight of his problems. They took him to higher ground; they tore through the ceiling, taking the cost and responsibility for that.
(v 5 When Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic,….). Note here that Jesus did not see the faith of the paralytic but of his friends. This tells us that as we intercede for others, our faith can stand in the gap where their faith may be lacking. This tells us that intercessors are both powerful and needed in the kingdom.
My encouragement for us today is to pray, if each of us intercedes for at least one person in need or one problem in our land or world, then as we tear through the ceiling the Lord will see our faith, forgive our sins and work miracles.
Read: Mark 2:1-12
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 17:6-12; Matthew 20:1-19; Job 11; Job 12; Job13; Job 14
