The story of the paralyzed man in Mark 2 is an oft-told Sunday school lesson. However, this historical event speaks powerfully on many levels and we need to re-discover the present power of this encounter. I’ve been reflecting on this report of Mark’s lately and I’ve been thinking about how this relates to a community of faith and those with disabilities. They’re not fully formed thoughts yet (as with most my thoughts), but over the next while I want to offer them to you and hear from you about what you see and hear in this narrative.
Firstly, the five men. There are the four men who carried the mat, and the one being carried. We know nothing of the previous relationship between these five, but they make up, albeit a small one, a community. We know that there was a decision made, that the disabled one among them needed to encounter Jesus. We don’t know if they expected a healing although they knew it was necessary that they ‘bring this man to Jesus’. They were so convinced of this that they overcame numerous presenting obstacles on their disabled friend’s behalf.
Secondly, the packed crowd. The crowd was so intent with their own personal encounter with Jesus that they ignored those around them. It was an egocentric experience. It was about what they ‘personally’ could get from Jesus – if only to see and hear what the fuss was all about.
I see these four men, asking those in the crowd if they could make way for the one that they carried: if they could let this one with a great need of encountering Jesus through their midst. Nevertheless, because of their ‘no one before me’ attitude, no one in the crowd was willing to budge. They had fought for their space and 'no one' was going to take it from them. What was important was ‘their own’ encounter with Jesus. I can see the crowd closing in even more tightly to prevent anyone from slipping by. I find it interesting that the group is described as a ‘crowd’ and not a ‘community’. I wonder how often we gather today as a crowd, rather than a community. A crowd has a mentality. There have been many interesting studies done on ‘mob mentality’. A mob will ‘work’ together for self-preservation as it benefits the ‘individual’ – they will push together in order to block the entrance of others – but they are not functioning as community. We see two groups here: the crowd, and the community. The five men are different from the crowd. They were community; the focus is not on their own personal encounter with Christ, but how they can help this one be lifted up so that he might be seen and touched by Jesus.
It says that ‘they couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd’. I find that such a sad commentary.
What is refreshing is that this little community did not let the crowd prevent the one needing to be in the presence of Jesus be denied – and found away around the barriers and obstacles.
Anyway I was just thinking. More to come.
Firstly, the five men. There are the four men who carried the mat, and the one being carried. We know nothing of the previous relationship between these five, but they make up, albeit a small one, a community. We know that there was a decision made, that the disabled one among them needed to encounter Jesus. We don’t know if they expected a healing although they knew it was necessary that they ‘bring this man to Jesus’. They were so convinced of this that they overcame numerous presenting obstacles on their disabled friend’s behalf.
Secondly, the packed crowd. The crowd was so intent with their own personal encounter with Jesus that they ignored those around them. It was an egocentric experience. It was about what they ‘personally’ could get from Jesus – if only to see and hear what the fuss was all about.
I see these four men, asking those in the crowd if they could make way for the one that they carried: if they could let this one with a great need of encountering Jesus through their midst. Nevertheless, because of their ‘no one before me’ attitude, no one in the crowd was willing to budge. They had fought for their space and 'no one' was going to take it from them. What was important was ‘their own’ encounter with Jesus. I can see the crowd closing in even more tightly to prevent anyone from slipping by. I find it interesting that the group is described as a ‘crowd’ and not a ‘community’. I wonder how often we gather today as a crowd, rather than a community. A crowd has a mentality. There have been many interesting studies done on ‘mob mentality’. A mob will ‘work’ together for self-preservation as it benefits the ‘individual’ – they will push together in order to block the entrance of others – but they are not functioning as community. We see two groups here: the crowd, and the community. The five men are different from the crowd. They were community; the focus is not on their own personal encounter with Christ, but how they can help this one be lifted up so that he might be seen and touched by Jesus.
It says that ‘they couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd’. I find that such a sad commentary.
What is refreshing is that this little community did not let the crowd prevent the one needing to be in the presence of Jesus be denied – and found away around the barriers and obstacles.
Anyway I was just thinking. More to come.
Neil
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