In my first attempt at reading Mark 2:1-12, the verses baffled me. Wouldn’t the people panicked and shouted “Run! The ceiling will collapse,” upon spotting the hole in the roof while Jesus was giving a sermon? Wasn’t there a risk of falling debris hitting or injuring people inside? How did the four men carry the paralyzed man to the roof and then lower him?

photo by Omar Ram on Unsplash

My questions were gradually answered after understanding the architectural features of that time. With rock walls and flat roofs, houses in Capernaum were often solidly built. Their wooden beams were covered by tree branches and layers of hay, above which densely packed dry soil was laid. Though such a roof structure appeared rather firm, digging a hole in it was not hard at all. Stairs in the courtyard allowed easy access for renovations.

But another question arises: if I were the paralyzed person, would anyone carry me to meet Jesus? And would anyone demolish the roof for me?

Those who broke the ceiling for that paralyzed man were full of hope and took great effort to help him receive healing. Facing such arduous task of carrying the person with a disability and climbing to the roof, they manged to dig a hole large enough for a bedridden patient to pass through in a room packed with people. Besides, helping the paralyzed person descend from the roof into the middle of a crowd in front of Jesus might have disrupted His teaching, would this act annoy the Lord? And who had to fix the hole? We see that the four had great faith in doing so. Clearly, their steadfast faith allowed them to conquer all the difficulties.

God never promised skies always blue. Our spiritual lives experience both mountains and valleys. Would anyone lift us, as the four friends did for the paralyzed man, to help us walk out of the valleys during our darkest moments? I will be grateful, if there is someone; but if there is no one, how can I find such a companion?

Perhaps the answer is to first become the person willing to carry others. We, as the body of Christ, shall do what Jesus has taught us: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) By carrying others and connecting with them, instead of being a Christian loner, we ensure that others can find and lift us when we need help.

Author: Wang Shuyang

Translator: Bei Feng