Nameless men.

 I was reading through Luke this morning and skimmed over a familiar story. 


Jesus is teaching to a crowd, maybe in someone's house, it seems. A few men who knew that he could heal people and perform miracles had brought their friend there to meet Jesus. The crowd was too large and they couldn't get to him, so they climbed on the roof and lowered their friend into the room with Jesus.

"...as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." Luke 6:17-20

I believe everything in the Bible is true and really happened. So, that's my starting point here. Unfortunately, I am often underwhelmed by these miracles and lack an appropriate reaction since I am so removed from it. I find it astonishing that Jesus can and would do these things, and I am confident that he still performs miracles like this today.

However, my astonishment in this text is aimed at someone else this time. 

                                  who are these men? 

They loaded up their paralyzed friend on a bed and carried him through town (well, maybe...their starting point is never mentioned). I am not very strong, and physical labor is hard for me, so this part alone greatly impresses me. I imagine it is very hot and sticky, their feet are in archless sandals, covered in dirt and sticky with sweat at this point. They see an overcrowded house and no access to Jesus. Being gentlemen, they don't want to barge through the crowd with their friend. (Or perhaps they weren't being gentlemen and the doorway was simply too small, I don't know.)

So, they lug him up on the roof, in front of what I can only assume is an unsupportive crowd that would also like front row seats to hear Jesus teach, pry off tiles from the roof, scrounge up some long rope and lower the man down to Jesus. 

I want to be a friend like that. 
I want to think of others,
follow through on my ideas and intentions, 
do things that are uncomfortable and hard (in the heat nonetheless!), 
& selflessly put my friend's needs in front of my own. 



Most importantly, 
I want to be the type of friend that will do anything to help someone meet Jesus. 


Just a thought.