Deep Dive 9

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. (Mark 2:1-12 KJV)

Have you ever experienced a tragedy (big or small) and found that someone that you love was there for you? How did it make you feel when that person was there to meet your needs? In the passage you are about to read, the paralyzed man had to humble himself. As you read, think about how he showed humility. Also, take note of how his friends expressed sacrifice.

When times are tough, there are two sides to experiencing Christ through community. On the one hand, you may be the one that helps someone, giving your time, talent, and/or treasure. On the other hand, you may need to be humble enough to receive the help. Regardless of your situation, God loves it when his hurting children come to him and are brought to him for help. Spend some time evaluating your heart and life. Think of some ways to experience Christ through community during difficult circumstances.