Luke 5:18-20 (NKJV) Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralysed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
The paralysed man in the passage had four great friends who were a great encouragement to him. If they hadn’t all agreed, it would have been an impossible task to carry him in spite of the crowd. Most people would have given up hope of being restored to health, but these four friends of the paralysed man showed not only exceptional character but also faith in God.
Not many people have the patience and time for someone who is paralysed, nor will every paralysed person have that kind of faith to reach out to Jesus after being in that condition for a prolonged period. It is normal for someone to feel sorry for themselves, moody and hopeless when they are paralysed. It can sap our energy too when we spend time with others who have great emotional and physical needs, especially those with mood swings because they have just experienced trauma in their lives.
Although we may not have friends who are paralysed, we will likely have friends who are down, bumped out, experiencing the blues, and struggling with hopelessness. Most of us would have felt beaten down by life’s circumstances too.
Beth Jones says in her book Up: Writing a New Chapter of Joy and Laughter, “It’s amazing how the right person at the right time can be used of God to comfort, encourage, refresh and cheer us up from the place of depression”.
The four friends in the passage were the right friends at the right time. We also need friends like the four friends in the opening passage—just a small circle of trusted and faith-filled friends who genuinely love and care for us. Meanwhile, we should also be a faith-filled friend who can be a blessing to others who are down and beaten up in life.
Not everyone has the heart or the know-how to befriend someone who is paralysed or in need. Somehow, we have lost the art of communication, or simply do not know how to relate to people, because we are too engrossed with our phones and gadgets. Therefore, we should slow down and show love towards those around us. When we notice a need in them, we can invest time in caring for and loving them with our words and actions.
Reflection: Who in your life may be feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, or hopeless andneeds your encouragement today? How can you become a faithful friend who goes the extra mile to bring them closer to Jesus?
Sermon Series: 2026 CG Campaign – Up! (Part 4)
愿意多走一步的信心朋友
路加福音 5:18-20 有人用褥子抬着一个瘫子，要把他带进去，放在耶稣面前；却因人多，寻不出法子抬进去，就上了房顶，从瓦间把他连褥子缒到当中，正在耶稣面前。耶稣见他们的信心，就对他说：‘你的罪赦了。’
这段经文中的瘫子拥有四位非常宝贵的朋友，他们成为他极大的鼓励和帮助。如果不是他们四个人同心合意，即使面对拥挤的人群，这件事几乎是不可能完成的。很多人在长期失去健康、陷入困境之后，可能早已放弃希望；然而，这四位朋友不仅展现了非凡的品格，也显明了他们对神的信心。
并不是每个人都有耐心和时间去陪伴一个长期瘫痪、需要帮助的人；同样，一个长期处在困境中的人，也未必仍然有足够的信心主动来到耶稣面前。一个人在长期受限制或经历痛苦时，很容易感到自怜、情绪低落，甚至失去盼望。当我们陪伴那些有极大情绪或身体需要的人时，尤其是那些经历创伤、情绪起伏较大的人，也可能会感到疲惫和消耗。
虽然我们身边可能没有身体瘫痪的朋友，但我们很可能会遇到那些失落、沮丧、情绪低谷，或正在与绝望挣扎的人。事实上，我们大多数人也曾在人生的环境中感到被压倒、疲惫不堪。
Beth Jones 在她的书籍《Up: Writing a New Chapter of Joy and Laughter》（《天天向上：书写喜乐与欢笑的新篇章》）中写道：“令人惊叹的是，在正确的时间，神可以使用一个合适的人，带给那些处在低谷和沮丧中的人安慰、鼓励、更新和喜乐。”
经文中的这四位朋友，正是在那个关键时刻出现的“合适的人”。我们也需要像他们一样的朋友——不需要很多，只需要一小群真正信靠神、彼此信任、真心爱护和关怀我们的属灵伙伴。同时，我们也应当成为这样的朋友，成为神所使用的器皿，去祝福那些在人生道路上疲惫、受伤、失去力量的人。
并不是每个人都懂得如何陪伴一个正在受苦或有需要的人。某种程度上，我们逐渐失去了沟通和建立关系的能力，甚至不知道该如何与人相处，因为我们的注意力常常被手机和各种电子设备占据。因此，我们需要慢下来，用爱回应身边的人。当我们发现他们的需要时，可以透过言语上的鼓励和实际行动上的关怀，投入时间去陪伴、爱护他们。
默想：
在你的生命中，有谁可能正在经历灰心、压力或失去盼望的时刻，需要你今天的鼓励？你可以如何成为一位愿意付出更多的信心朋友，帮助他们更靠近耶稣？
讲章系列：天天向上! 细胞小组活动 2026 第四部分