Four Kind Men - Mark 2:1-12

Talk about the importance of friendship with your children. Start by asking, do you have a good friend? Maybe you have several good friends. It is nice to have friends and there are times we all are in need of a good friend. The following Bible Story is about a man who had four kind friends.

Word of Jesus’ ability to heal was spreading quickly. He healed a man of an evil spirit and that same day He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. By the time evening rolled around there were crowds of sick people wanting Jesus to heal them. In the morning, Jesus tried to go to a quiet place, but was unsuccessful as many sick people followed. Jesus went on a tour of Galilee with Peter, Andrew, James and John. He taught in the synagogues, preached the gospel of the Kingdom and healed many wherever He went. When He returned to His home in Capernaum, people crowded into a house to hear Him preach.

Among those that came to see Christ were four men. They were carrying a man who was paralyzed. The man could not walk. They must have felt some disappointment when they saw the house was filled and spilling out with people. There seemed to be no way to get their friend to Jesus. While the situation looked bleak, they did not give up. If someone really loves and wants to help a friend in need, he will not give up. One will do whatever it takes to help a friend. Jesus said, “This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). God can use you to help another even when it seems impossible. These four men did not give up.

The four men carried their sick friend to the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching. Bible-time homes were not like our homes today. They were usually flat and the roofs were probably made up of mud mixed with straw. Once on the roof, the four friends began to take the roof apart. When the
hole was large enough, they lowered their friend through the hole.

When Jesus saw the faith of these four friends, He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” This statement from Jesus did not please some who thought only God could forgive someone of his sins. Was Jesus claiming to be God? Yes. During Jesus’ day it was believed that sickness and disease were the result of sin. There are different factors that can bring about physical sickness. Illness may be the result of violating the principles of health, or the direct result of a person’s sin (Matthew 9:1-7; John 5:14). There are also times that sickness is inherited (John 9:2) or the result of an injury or accident (Luke 13:1-5. Jesus confirms in John 9:1-3 that physical ailments are not necessarily caused by sin. In this paralyzed man’s position, he may have been disabled since birth or his sin may have brought about his illness.

Jesus’ ability to heal was a clear demonstration of God’s power in Christ. Healings performed by Jesus
represented to the world His absolute power over the world, which was given to Him by God. When Jesus told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven, Jesus was informing the religious leaders He had the ability to forgive sin. Talk such as this was considered blasphemous, an affront to God’s authority and power (Isaiah 43:25) and was punishable by death.

While those who questioned Jesus’ authority did not speak out, Jesus knew what they were thinking. Jesus said, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ’Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said ‘Arise, take up your bed and go to your house.’”

To the delight of his friends, the paralyzed man immediately got up from the bed and stood. All the people were amazed. There was happiness and joy as the people glorified God and said, “We never saw anything like this!”

Imagine how happy the four friends must have been. They must have been glad they made the effort and did not give up. They had helped in making a difference in someone’s life. When you have a friend that needs Jesus’ kind of love, be sure to give it (I Corinthians 13:4,7).