In the New Testament we learn of the crippled man being lowered through the roof by his friends so that he can meet Jesus.

 

Mark 2: 1-5

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.  They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.  Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.  Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  

 

This is a great example of people working together for a common goal and of four people going out of their way to help their friend.  These four friends would have had to carry their paralyzed friend through a large crowd, which would have been difficult, then somehow climb on to the roof of a house.  They would then have had to knock a hole in the roof to lower the man through.  No easy task! 

 

Yet they did it because they knew that Jesus could help their friend.  They were willing to barge their way through the large crowd, clamber up onto a roof and then break a hole in it (probably making themselves very unpopular with the owner of the house!) before lowering their friend down.  If they had been selfish and thought only of their own comfort then their friend would not have met Jesus and would not have been healed. 

 

Talking points

 

- What was the cost for these four friends for their actions? 

 

- Do you think they felt it was worth it?

 

- Why is it important to help others when we can? 

 

- How do you think the man felt towards his friends whenever he was healed?