Life can be a little messy. One summer evening, my nephew stormed into my house wearing a Spiderman costume and shooting blue silly string across the room. It was an ambush. Small Spiderman flung blue goo on my walls, rearranged the dining room chairs, and abandoned gummy worms in the cracks of my sofa.
As I was scrubbing my walls, I began laughing to myself. It was messy, yes. However, it was funny. The shambles of my dining room were a reminder of the fun that we just experienced. I would happily exchange another hour of cleaning for the chance to play Spiderman with my nephew again. The mess was evidence of a memory.
In chapter two of Mark, we uncover another story of a secret ambush with a messy conclusion. While doing ministry in Capernaum, Jesus found himself preaching in the middle of a living room. Fascinated onlookers hung on to every word of the message. Suddenly, muffled laughter echoed from the roof. Shards and scraps of red clay fell to the floor right before the crowd. Distracted, Jesus paused his presentation and gazed towards the ceiling. Eight hands peeked through the roof as the dessert sun glistened through the new skylight.
The audience gasped as a paralyzed man on a rug was lowered from the ceiling and dropped before Jesus. After a tense exchange with some religious leaders in the room, Jesus smiled and said, “Get up, take your mat and walk” (2:9). In an instant, the life-long paraplegic wiggled his toes, stood to his feet, and embraced Christ in a hug. Cheer and confusion captured the crowd. “We have never seen anything like this” (2:12).
This unnamed man’s life was radically altered by his encounter with the power and forgiveness of Jesus. However, let’s not overlook his faithful friends. They loved their friend so much that they went to great lengths to see his life improved — even if it meant damaging someone’s roof in broad daylight.
Do you have friends like that? Do you have a few faith-filled friends who are eager to help you when you’re hurting? Do you have friends who will encourage you? Do you have friends who, like these men literally did, will help you get closer to Jesus? It’s crucial to cultivate a life-giving community in your life.
Just like plaster falling from the ceiling or silly string covering your walls, community can get messy. Helping your friend through a breakup is messy. Family problems are messy. Communication can get confusing — and messy. However, God tends to bless that mess.