The Importance of Holey Friends (Mark 2:1-12)
Through the Roof
Early in his ministry, Jesus had already built a reputation. Word about him spread quickly, and wherever he went the crowds followed. When he returned to Capernaum, the house where he was staying filled up so fast that there was no room left, not even outside the door. It is in that packed, impossible setting that one of the most determined acts of friendship in the Gospels takes place.
The Passage
Mark 2:1-12 reads, "When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'My child, your sins are forgiven.' But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 'What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!' Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man Your sins are forgiven, or Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!' And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, 'We've never seen anything like this before!'"
A Village That Knew Him
Capernaum was a small place, home to somewhere around a thousand to fifteen hundred people. Most of them would have known the paralyzed man, and some were probably related to him. The man everyone recognized as completely helpless was now being carried straight to Jesus. His condition had become part of his identity. He was the one who could not walk. And his friends believed there was hope for him even when he could not get there on his own.
The Cost of Carrying Him
Look closely at what the four men actually did. The house was overcrowded, but that did not stop them. They carried him up a flight of stairs to the roof. First century Galilean roofs were not simple ceilings. They were built from wooden beams covered with branches and reeds and packed with mud, strong enough to be used as a deck and to add living space to the home. Digging an opening was not like lifting a ceiling tile. It was hard, physical work, and it meant someone would later have to repair it. It was inconvenient, disruptive, and expensive. None of that stopped them. They could not get their friend through the door, so they found another way.
The Primary Point
By this point in Mark's Gospel, Jesus has already called disciples, performed miracles, and gathered crowds. Now he attracts something new. Opposition. The religious leaders watching him are correct about one thing. Mark 2:7 says, "Only God can forgive sins." That is true. You cannot forgive someone on behalf of another person. It does not make sense for anyone but God to do it.
What is striking is how Jesus responds. He does not back down, soften his words, or clear up a misunderstanding. He proves his claim by performing a miracle. He declares that he has the authority to forgive sin, and then he demonstrates that authority for everyone to see. This is not an indirect hint about his identity. It is a very direct affirmation that he is divine. There is no mistaking what he is saying.
The whole scene, the healing and the showdown with the religious leaders, builds our appreciation for who Jesus is. He is teacher, healer, and disciple maker. He is unique and powerful. He has the authority to forgive sin.
The Secondary Point
There is another point in this passage worth our attention, and it has to do with the four men carrying the mat. They bring their friend to Jesus because they believe Jesus can help him. When the house turns out to be packed, with no way through, most people would have called it a day. These men refused. They adapted, climbed the roof, dug through it, and lowered their friend into the room.
Notice that Jesus responds to their faith. These men carried a burden that was not their own and helped someone who could not get to Jesus by himself. That is one of the clearest applications of the whole passage. Every one of us needs people in our lives who help us get closer to Jesus when we are struggling, discouraged, distracted, or unable to move forward on our own. And every one of us needs to be that kind of person for someone else. We may never carry a friend on a mat, but we can carry them in prayer, encourage them when they are weary, invite them to church, open God's Word with them, and help them take one more step toward Jesus.
Both Sides of the Coin
Here is the heart of it. We all need friends that help get us closer to Jesus, and we all need to be a friend that helps people get closer to Jesus. We need people who will carry us, and we need to be people who carry others. Both halves matter.
Why Community Matters
The Bible consistently teaches the importance of living our faith alongside other people. There are moments when someone has to stand alone for what is right, but those stories are always presented as difficult, painful, and costly. They are never held up as God's ideal for his people.
Think of Elijah. He reaches a point where he is convinced he is the only faithful person left, discouraged and exhausted and completely alone. God's response is not, "Good, that is exactly how I want you." God reminds him that there are thousands of others who have remained faithful. You simply cannot read the Bible and come away believing that God wants his people to live isolated, disconnected lives. There is no command to reject the church and go it alone. From beginning to end, Scripture points us toward community, fellowship, accountability, encouragement, and a shared mission. The consistent message of the Bible is not, "make sure you and God are good." It is, "we are following God together."
There is a paraphrase from Erwin McManus in The Barbarian Way that captures it well. In a fight between a single tiger and a single lion, the tiger wins. But put five tigers against five lions, and the lions win, because the lions fight together while the tigers only know how to fight alone.
Charlie Tremendous Jones once said, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read." It echoes the old saying, show me your friends and I will show you your future. We know this instinctively. Parents warn their kids away from the wrong crowd because they understand that the people closest to us shape the direction of our lives. Paul tells the Corinthians that bad company corrupts good character. The four men in this story were not perfect, famous, or extraordinary. They were simply friends who cared enough to carry someone to Jesus, and their friend walked away changed because they refused to leave him where he was.
How the Church Can Help
Two goals are worth holding onto. First, everyone should have someone they are looking forward to seeing at church. Second, if someone is missing for a few weeks, someone should notice.
It remains essential that the church actively fosters these kinds of relationships. There is a reason our lobby was built to be large and inviting, and we keep looking for opportunities to promote real connection, from family dinners to a Mets game to Life Path. We try to put the cookies on the bottom shelf and take the awkwardness out of meeting new people. But here is the honest limit. It does not matter how big the lobby is, how good the coffee tastes, or how many groups we offer. What makes the difference is individuals making the most of the opportunities in front of them. We can facilitate groups and classes and ministries, but only you can play your part.
This is also a good place to be honest about online church. It is a wonderful first touch point for someone exploring our church, and a great way to stay connected when you are out of town or unable to be present. It was never built to replace gathering together. It is not a viable substitute for being in community.
Your Independent Responsibility
Disciples make disciples. If they did not, the church would have been born on the day of Pentecost and faded away within a single generation. The best way to learn something is often to teach it, and the same is true here. Being a disciple who is making disciples makes you a better disciple.
This connects to what Megan shared last week. The Holy Spirit empowers every believer to participate in God's mission. This is not religious guilt. It is an invitation. Proverbs 11:25 says, "those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed."
Remember the math of the story. Four men carrying a mat is far easier than two, and easier still than one person trying to hoist a friend over his shoulder and haul him to Jesus alone. When all of us take the call seriously, to have friends and to be a friend who is determined to get people closer to Jesus, the work spreads out. It is not just the staff. It is not about burning anyone out. It is not even confined to a church building. It happens anywhere, as part of God's mission.
Bring It Home
Is anyone really going to argue that friendship, connection, and community are bad things? I doubt it. Most of us can name people who helped us get closer to Jesus. Someone who gave their time, went out of their way, stayed dependable, and helped build our faith. If we do not actually disagree, and if we can point to how this kind of friendship has shaped our own lives, then lean into the challenge. Do not brush it off. It is worth some discomfort, worth a little awkwardness, worth devoting time to. It is worth treating the church as a community centered on Jesus rather than a weekly service you slip in and out of unknown.
Consider the church as a community where you matter and your contribution matters. It is not a one way system. We add to it, and we benefit from it. That is why our cafe opens at 9:30 even though the service starts at 10. Fellowship is not a casual addition to church life. By God's design it is a core element. We have all heard the reports of loneliness rising among teens and young adults. God's blueprint for the church offers a real answer to a real problem. Isolated, lonely, and broken people who have never found their place can find genuine community and belonging in the church Jesus promised to build.
This kind of friendship is not limited to the four walls of a building. Too often believers compartmentalize, putting faith in the backseat instead of seeing our workplaces, schools, and friend groups as opportunities to show the goodness of God. Being a friend who helps others get closer to Jesus does not mean being weird or off putting. It means showing the love of God and letting the fruit of the Spirit pour naturally out of your life. The worry about driving people away or being dismissed as a religious weirdo is a real concern, but in my experience, when your focus is on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, doors open and people take you and your faith seriously.
We should also accept the other half of this conversation. We need these friends too. The ones who help us when we are down, who help us put one foot in front of the other, who care about our well being, who can be trusted to tell us a hard truth. It is not a sign of weakness to let people help you, keep you accountable, and walk with you through a difficult season. Receiving help builds us up and makes us stronger. What is actually weak is muscling through alone out of pride. Having people you trust to journey through life's difficulties is a blessing from God. This is not a call to do something miserable. It is a call to prioritize something that will bless your life.
The four men who could not get their friend to Jesus found a way to make it happen because they knew it was worth it. We all need friends that help get us closer to Jesus, and we all need to be a friend that helps people get closer to Jesus.
Reflection Questions
Who are the people who are helping you follow Jesus more faithfully?
How can you help someone take a step closer to Jesus this week?
