Devotion
Faith that digs through the roof
“Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.”
Mark 2:4
They hit a wall of people, and instead of going home, they went up.
Roofs in first-century Galilee were flat, reached by an outside stairway, and made of wooden beams covered with packed mud, straw, and branches. So this was possible — but it was also loud, filthy, and expensive. Dirt and debris rained down on the crowd below, and someone had a repair bill by dinnertime. These four men were willing to interrupt a sermon, wreck a roof, and make fools of themselves in public because they were convinced that getting their friend in front of Jesus was worth all of it.
Practice
Name your roof. Between the person you thought of yesterday and Jesus, there is something in the way: your schedule, the distance, an old hurt, their skepticism, your fear of saying it wrong. Write down the obstacle in one sentence. Then write the creative, slightly inconvenient workaround — the early morning drive, the awkward first text after two years, the invitation you're afraid they'll decline.
Prayer
Lord, I give up on people too early. When the door is crowded, help me find another way in instead of telling myself I tried. Give me the creativity and the guts to keep carrying my friend toward You — and keep me tender while I do it. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.