BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE

"Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried it and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD." (2 Samuel 23:16) (ESV)

In yesterday's blog I discussed the principles of serving and allowing others to serve us in times of need. Today I want to link (hopefully not ad nauseum) those thoughts by paralleling the stories of the paralytic in Mark 2 and that of David's three mighty men -- Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah -- in 2 Samuel 23.

These men distinguished themselves from the rest of David's army by demonstrating their perseverance, skill with the sword, and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. The army of Israel could boast of many outstanding soldiers, but none of them could match David's three mighty men. As will be seen, their courage, perseverance, and mighty deeds arose from a heart of love for their leader.

One parallel with the story of the paralytic is David's inability to penetrate the Philistine defenses without help. In like manner, the paralytic could not penetrate the house where Christ was staying without the help of his own "mighty" men. Each recognized their weakness and helplessness in achieving their goals.

Furthermore, in each story we notice that each man had a great need. The paralytic was in need of healing, David desired and needed a drink of water from the well at Bethlehem. In both cases the needs arose because of circumstances orchestrated by the providence of God. David was separated from his beloved Bethlehem because of a great army of Philistines; the paralytic was separated from Christ by a great number of people. David wanted to taste the sweet water of Bethlehem; the paralytic wanted to taste the sweetness of walking and living on his own.

Next, we see that each man had friends willing to sacrifice for them. David's men risked their lives to break through the Philistine defenses and bring back the precious water. While the paralytic's four men did not face marauding barbarians, they nonetheless gave up a part of their lives for a precious friend.

In both stories each man received more than he bargained for. As far as we know, the paralytic expected a physical healing, but he left with eternal salvation. David wanted a drink of water, but he was so touched by his men's sacrifice that he sacrificed it to the LORD. He did not deem himself worthy of their generosity. I am sure that in some respects the paralytic felt himself unworthy of the generosity of his friends. This same feeling occurs in me when a friend goes out of his way to help me or let me know he's praying for me. It is very humbling because I do not feel worthy of such a sacrifice.

I'll leave you with one final observation. It is interesting to note that the word Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew. David was thirsting for water from the house of bread. If you flip this over to Mark 2 I'm sure you can see what I'm driving at. The paralytic's friends broke through a ceiling in the house where the "living bread" and "living water" resided! I say this because there will be times when we will need "water and bread" to be carried and brought to us by someone. Likewise, we need to recognize when our brothers and sisters in Christ are in need of these things -- whether they know they need it or not -- and bring it to them out of love without being asked.

CARRIED OR CARRIER?

"And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men." Mark 2:3 (ESV)


On June 1, the Satisfied Mind's wife fell at home, breaking her right (dominant) forearm in several places. Apart from the obvious physical discomfort, it has forced us to readjust our lives and assume different roles in a manner hitherto not imagined. Without the ability to use her right hand/arm, my wife has had to depend on me for many things - i.e., driving, dressing, paying bills, house cleaning, flossing (yes, 2 people can floss the other's teeth!), cooking (not too much - our thanks to many dear friends!) - tasks that we don't give a second thought to otherwise. This has been difficult and humbling for her; indeed, she is one of the most independent people I know and a servant to others without being asked. Most of us would rather not have to ask help for anything, and this epitomizes her heart.

It has been humbling and difficult for me as well, but in a totally different manner. It's hard to watch someone you love struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As strange as it may sound, my wife's trials have sharpened my focus and helped me learn to minister to her in these three areas. Before the accident, I had asked God to help me love my wife the way Christ loves His church. Little did I realize the means by which He would teach me! Although I am nowhere close to the husband I ought to be, day by day I am gaining new insights as to the nature of Christ's own sacrificial love for His bride.

From the beginning, my wife and I have been thinking about God's purposes in this. One day, the story of the paralytic in Mark 2 came to my mind. As I meditated upon this story, two simple but powerful images came to mind: First, a paralytic lying helpless upon a makeshift gurney; Second, four strong, faithful, and loving friends carrying him to Jesus.

Like my wife, the paralytic did not choose to be in such a predicament. No doubt he had asked "why me?" countless times. I am certain he experienced despair and depression as he watched life pass him by day by day by day - envisioning a future without hope. We must remember that bodily infirmities can affect the heart and soul as well. Added to all this was the humiliation of being totally dependent upon others for even the simplest and most basic necessities of life. He was a man who had no choice but to submit his will and his body to another's care and keeping.

While little is known about this man, we read that he had four wonderful friends who were willing to do whatever was necessary to bring him to Jesus for healing. They were willing not only to carry him, but also willing to tear a hole in someone's roof to lower him down to Jesus. They didn't think of themselves, but thought only of their friend's greatest needs and brought him to the one they knew who could fulfill those needs. It was their faith - their love in action - that Christ saw, and the one who was carried to Him for bodily restoration walked away with a new heart and the promise of a new body - "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).

What the Lord has taught me through this story and my family's current experience is that we may have to carry our friends - literally or figuratively - or that our friends may need to carry us. Perhaps we will need to "open a hole" in a roof, a wall -- a little "deconstruction" -- for our friends or family. My wife has had several friends "carry" her the last month, and they have been a tremendous blessing to us both. I'm not so sure that allowing others to carry us isn't the hardest of the two to learn, but it is something that we as Christians must learn if we are to be more like Christ. May God give us the grace to carry and be carried.