The Seventh Sunday of Epiphany-
The Hole in the Roof

Mark 2:2-5:
So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

In talking with my wife about this passage the other day we both realized that one of the tasks of the church is to be like the men who brought their friend to be healed by Jesus. There's this big crowd around Jesus. Always is. They're there for the show, to hear some good stories, then head back to whatever it was they were doing.

But out there in the crowd, beyond the edge of the crowd, in fact, was a man and his friends who needed to be in Jesus presence. They couldn't get there. Those crowds. The show. It would have been easy to turn and go away, but not these friends. Up on the roof they went. They clawed their way through the roof and ever so carefully, with their friends life in their hands, they lowered him down.

Jesus saw "their" faith and he healed "him." I stress those words because I think they are part of the key to the story. The faith of the friends brought the healing. The friends were being disciples. They are the church. By way of the church (the friends) the paralyzed man was brought to Jesus. He was healed.

Yet too often we, the church, are awed by the crowds that want the show. We look to bring the big numbers - or at least increase a little over last year's numbers so that "headquarters" doesn't start asking too many questions. Too often, on the edges of the crowd, (and it doesn't take more than a few strong personalities to make a crowd), are some people who need to come to Jesus.

Their paralysis may take many forms. From sin to materialism, from sickness, to addiction, from selfishness to fear. We, the church, their friends, are called to do what we can do to get them into the healing presence of the Savior. We are given the work- the hard work- of climbing roofs, breaking through the obstacles, then gently and lovingly getting them next to Jesus.

But too often we are as paralyzed as the ones needing us. Brian Stoffregen had this to say (as quoted on The Text This Week:)

"How many of our congregations are "paralyzed"?
Unable to move? Stagnant? Stuck?
What keeps them that way?
What would it take for them to know and believe
that the power and authority of God is in their midst?
What is the mat that they live on?
their comfortable place to stay?
that carries them?
that they think they need?
What would it take for them to get off the mat and carry it?"
--Brian Stoffregen

Maybe after all it IS us who need the healing presence of Jesus? Can we get through and past the crowds who clamor for more show? Can we get around the obstacles that have us paralyzed with fear? Can we become the church?

That may be the best sign that Jesus is still at work.