My Daily Pause

The four had a decision to make. They could take their friend, laid out on a stretcher, back home or they could get drastic. Jesus was right through that door, but the crowd was so thick they would never be able to get to him with the load they were carrying. Jesus could heal their friend, but only if they could get to him. (Mark 2:1-12)

The Critical Decision

Christ Heals a Man Paralyzed by the Gout. Mark 2:4. Engraving by Bernhard Rode, 1780.

When I read Mark 2:4, I think of the number of ways a different decision would have changed the way that sentence ended. “And when they could not get near him because of the crowd…”

• …they went home, planning to return another day…
• …they milled about in the rear hoping they would be noticed…
• …they decided they had more important things to do with their time and left their friend to fend for himself …

In the post Time for a Decision, we thought about decision making from the standpoint of failing to act at all. In this event, the four friends highlight a totally different kind of decision. How many choices do we make on a monthly basis that could have a life changing impact on ourselves or others?

• “I could go back to school, but I will be x years old before I get out”
• “I would love to give that person a ride to the doctor, but I already have plans for today”
• “I would love to be a part of that project, but I need to work on Saturday”

From Good to Best

Obviously, there are legitimate tough decisions we have to make sometimes. Being honest with ourselves, how often do our decisions really fit into that category?

And more importantly, how often do we let the “crowd around Jesus” stop us from getting to him?

What if we attacked the things that keep us from making the best decision the same way the four friends did? What if we took on a “tear off the roof” attitude every day?

And when we do, whose life can we change?

Bonus: More I have written on Mark 2:1-12