The Power of Friendship

SUMMARY

Karl Ihfe examines the remarkable story of friendship found in Mark 2, where four friends carry a paralyzed man to Jesus, going so far as to tear through a roof to get their friend before Him. Ihfe highlights how true friendship requires significant investment of time—our most precious and limited resource—and sacrifice, as these friends were willing to overcome any barrier to bring their friend to Jesus.

The sermon emphasizes a profound truth from this passage: when Jesus healed the paralyzed man, He did so in response to the friends' faith, not the paralyzed man's. As Mark 2:5 states, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" Ihfe challenges the congregation to consider both whose "mat" they might need to carry and what "mat" they might be lying on, needing to ask for help. He reminds us that Jesus calls us friends (not servants) and demonstrated the ultimate friendship by sacrificing Himself for us, carrying our sins to the cross.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Well, if you have your Bible, invite you to turn over to Mark. Chapter two. We're going to look at a powerful story about friendship today, one that inspires me and I hope it will inspire you. Jesus. We learn in Mark 2 ver.

One that has returned back home to Capernaum, kind of his home base. And we're told it was reported that he was there. People found out about it. Verse 2. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door, and he was speaking the Word to them.

Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him. And after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. Kind of a crazy story, a wild story. Invite you to go back into the scene, if you will, and just imagine what it must have been like being there on that day.

We encounter this story about a paralytic man and we don't know a whole lot about him. Mark doesn't give us a lot of details. All we know is that he's paralyzed. We don't know how long, maybe it's been his whole life. We don't know.

Maybe it was a recent accident. We're not really sure. And if we stop and think about it, the challenges that this man faced in his day and age were pretty overwhelming. He had to have someone there to feed him and to clothe them, to make sure he had all of his needs met. He needed to be moved around so he wouldn't get sores laying on his mat.

There are all kinds of challenges. Not only that, but there were no medical solutions really available to him. There weren't any treatment plans. He couldn't run over to the PT center and try to work out those muscles, try to strengthen them back up. We don't know why he's paralyzed.

All we know is he's stuck and he doesn't really have anything going for him except for one thing. We do find out he has one thing going for him. He has some friends. That's maybe an understatement, but those friends are going to turn out to make all the difference in his life. But friendships like this don't just happen.

So it's kind of interesting to think about how did he develop these kinds of friends? There were a lot of obstacles that would have been in the way for him to actually make some friends to this depth. I mean, first of all, in the ancient world. If a child was born with a birth defect, with some challenge, with some physical handicap, they would have just been thrown away, literally like garbage, just thrown away in the trash. Not only that, there were some depending on even what culture you are part of, when they saw a physical defect, there was a stigma associated with it.

Like somehow this was the result of your own doing. It was either you or your family. Something had happened somewhere along the line, and you were now cursed by the gods because of it. Maybe you remember that story in John chapter 9, when Jesus and his disciples are traveling along and they come upon a blind man and his disciples ask him this question. They say, rabbi, who sinned?

This man or his parents, that he was born blind. Now, why would they say that? Well, that was the overwhelming kind of sentiment of the day. The thought of the day, this guy is blind because of something either he did or someone close to him did. That was the prevailing sentiment of the day.

He was cursed by God because of some sin in his life. And we see the disciples have kind of bought in. Jesus has to correct that thinking and say, guys, that's actually not how God works. But here in Mark chapter two, we find another man who seemingly looks cursed by God, only he's got some friends who don't give in to that thinking. They don't see it the same way.

They're not going to give in to discouragement. They're determined to help him. It's a pretty remarkable picture of friendship, I think, here in Mark chapter two. A couple things I want us to think about. One of the first things is it shows a significant investment of time.

Have you ever noticed that it takes some time to develop a friendship? Time is our most precious resource. It's something we don't get any more of. You can work and earn some more money. You can use that money to buy some new clothes or more clothes.

You can buy more food, whatever you like, but you can't get more time. It's limited, it's finite. And once it's gone, you don't get it back. Time is the great equalizer, if you will. There's a Christian artist named Chris Rice who wrote a song called Life Means so Much.

And one of the verses, I think, illustrates this beautifully. He writes, every day is a bank account, and time is our currency. Nobody's rich, nobody's poor. We get 24 hours each. So how are you going to spend?

Will you invest or squander? Try to get ahead or help someone who's under? One of the biggest challenges to developing True and meaningful friendships is time. We're just in a hurry. We don't have the time.

There are places to go and things to do. But you can't hurry friendship. You can't help a friend through a hard time in a hurry. And you can't carry someone who's on a mat in a hurry very well without potentially dropping them. The men in Mark 2 choose to invest their time in their friend.

So let me ask you, church, as you think about your own life, where, or maybe better, with whom, is God inviting you to invest some time this week? Is there a relationship that God's challenging you to say? Would you be willing to stop your hurried life and invest some time to develop this friendship? Maybe it's a coworker at the office, or maybe it's a classmate at school or a student if you're a teacher or one of your workers. If you're the boss.

Maybe it's a spouse, one of your children. Maybe it's a parent or a grandparent. Where'God challenging you to invest some time to develop a friendship? You see, the temptation that we all face is to hoard our time. We only get so much of it, and so I'm going to hold on to it and I'm going to use it for just the things that I want to use it.

The only problem is that mindset causes us to forget something else we see in this story. Everyone, everyone has a mat. Everyone's got a mat. How many of you like to ask for help? Think about what it was like to be in this man's shoes just by show of hands.

When you're lost somewhere and need directions, how many of you are happy and willing to just stop and ask for directions? Maybe what, 50% of us, maybe 100% of us are lost, but only half of us like to ask. How about when you're really struggling, when you've really messed up, you've screwed something up and you need help? How often are we willing to stop and say, I need some help? I see a few sheepish hands kind of raising up.

Why? Why is it so hard for us to ask for help? We recognize it. It makes us vulnerable. I mean, no one likes to show our weaknesses.

No one wants to be seen as not able to actually be competent to do the thing that you're trying to do. It's embarrassing sometimes hard to admit that we struggle or even worse, that we might need someone to carry us on a mat. I mean, what if they drop you? How many of you ever had a friend that dropped you, maybe not physically, maybe not literally, but someone that you counted on and you depended on and you were vulnerable and you asked for help and they said they'd be there and they weren't there. We all know the pain of friends not really living up to the other end of the bargain.

And so our temptation is to want to hold back. But see, that's part of learning to be a friend, is learning to trust, to ask someone for help and ask someone who is asked. Learning how to be responsible, dependable someone that others can count on. We see here in Mark chapter two. This man's mat could have been a reason for rejection.

Right? The predominant thought of the day was, don't spend time with him, don't talk to him, don't get around him. God's punishing him, he's cursed. Instead, that mat that could have been a cause for rejection actually becomes an opportunity for friendship, church. Is there a way that God's creating an opportunity for friendship in your life this week?

Will you be open and honest about it? See, these friends in Mark chapter two, they created this little fellowship of the mat, as John Ortberg likes to call it, that their mat actually became this opportunity to engage. So what's your mat these days? What's the problem in your life that just keeps challenging you? What's the problem that you can't seem to get rid of?

Maybe it's anger. You just see so many things happening around you and it just lights something in you. Or maybe you overreact to perceived hurts or slights in your way. What's your mat?

Maybe for some of us it's the critic. We have a thought about everything and we just can't help our. We just have to share it with everyone. Maybe it's fear. Fear of being alone, fear of being rejected, fear of not really having or being or doing.

Fill in the blank. Maybe for some of us, it's that trust. We've been there, done that, got the T shirt, not interested. What's the mat? The thing that we keep laying on.

You see, sometimes if we're not careful, we like to pretend to be people who don't have mats. And maybe churches are some of the worst places to find that. And maybe preachers are some of the worst at hiding it. To say, I don't have a mat, I'm doing great, I'm fine. What's the number one question at church?

How are you? Number one answer? Fine. Really? It looks like you're on a mat.

Can we talk about this? It's Hard. What's your mat? Who are the people that you allow to carry you when you're on your mat? Who do you talk to about your weaknesses?

Who do you confide in and ask to pray for? You see, one of the things we learn when we encounter Jesus is we've all got a mat. We've all got one. And here in Mark 2, these friends are not willing to leave their friend on the mat. They want to take him to see Jesus.

They hear he's come back home and he's le. And leaving their friend and going to see him without their friend is just not an option. Our small group is going through the Chosen series. Maybe some of you have been watching that. In season one, I guess episode six, they recount this story.

I've read this story a million times. I don't know how many times. I've lost count. It's one of my favorite stories. They do a beautiful illustration.

I was overcome with emotion of just the idea of this story kind of playing itself out. I've always imagined the story happening in somebody else's house. I never think about it in that. We're told in verse one, Jesus came home to Capernaum. Jesus was coming back to his house, back to his home base.

It may not have been like literally his house, but it was where he was staying. And that's the roof that they are re tearing through. That's the mud that they're digging out to get their friend down to him. When they arrive and they see that the door is so packed with people that they can't get in, they’re 'trying to find another option. Why?

Because another thing we learn here about true friendship, it's a time investment, but it's also a sacrifice. If they're not willing to just let things go, if they don't turn to their friend and say, well, sorry man, you can see this place is busy. We're not going to be able to get in here. They're thinking, how do we get him to Jesus? How do we find Jesus?

How do we get him in front of the one who can actually do something? They don't think of themselves. They think of their friend. And they think so much of Jesus that they're willing to make a pretty big risk here to get him in front of them. They tear through every and any barrier to bring their friend to Jesus.

It's interesting. Have you ever noticed how many barriers there are to actually friendship in our world, to relationships? Let's look at your local news favorite outlet, whichever one you want and they are just pumping out all kinds of barriers. Here's why you shouldn't like these people. Here's why you should avoid those people.

Here's why you should think this and don't think that. And if they think that, then you shouldn't have anything to do with them. And it doesn't seem to matter what color stripe you wear, red or blue, rich or poor, it doesn't seem to matter political, economic, social barriers. Maybe it's just the pragmatic barriers. Are you useful to me?

What have you done for me lately? If you can't help me, I'm not interested in helping you. If that's the way of the world around us, these friends in Mark 2 are not willing. They're not willing to abide by that. So they start breaking and wrecking a roof church.

When s the last time you wrecked a roof for a friend? Now, don't hear me saying I'm not condoning property destruction, but I am condoning. When's the last time that you've noticed and responded like these friends when you saw something going on and you weren't willing to just sit idly by but said, I've got to do something, I've got to respond. When you notice that a friend is discouraged, you respond by sending a message. You make a phone call, send a text, write a note, go by for a visit.

When you notice a friend needs to talk, you respond by putting your phone down and looking at them face to face. As I was thinking about this this week, I was remembering Hallie. We just sent her off to London and she's there living her best life. When she was a little girl and she wanted our attention, she would grab my face in her hands and say, jed, listen with your face.

When's the last time you listened with your face to a friend who was in need?

That's what the friends in Mark 2 do. They listen with their face. And they're hoping and they're trusting and they're believing that if they bring them to Jesus, something incredible is going to happen. But I wonder if there was at some point they were wondering how is Jesus is going to respond to this? This is his home where he's living and we're tearing a hole in the roof.

How would you feel if this were your home? Yeah, okay, hold on. Wait a minute. There's a line. Let's get some order here.

Jesus sees them. He sees their faces staring down at him. They haven't asked for anything. They've only been thinking of themselves, trying to bring their friend to him. Then Mark writes this Incredible sentence, verse 5.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, son, your sins are forgiven.

If you go through most of the gospel, all the gospels, most of the healing stories happen as a result of Jesus seeing another person's faith. Daughter, your faith has healed you. Son, your faith has made you well. Not in this story, not in this case. It's not the faith of the one that's needing healing that causes the healing.

It's the faith of his friends. Just think about that for a minute. Have you ever considered the power of your faith helping to bring healing to your friend's life? That's incredible story. According to Mark, these guys didn't say a word.

They just dug a hole and they lowered their friend. See, wasn't what Jesus heard that made him respond. It's what he saw. He saw a picture of their faith. He saw the love and the friendship, this investment of time and energy and commitment and sacrifice, the way that God intended.

From the very beginning, Jesus saw their faith and he looks down and he sees this man who is broken not only in a body, but in soul. And he says, son, your sins are forgiven. Again, a moment to stop and pause. I wonder if that was an awkward moment. And he's thinking, I'll get lowered down and maybe I'll be able to walk again.

And Jesus doesn't say rise and walk yet. He says, your sins are forgiven. And the guy's kind of like, we weren't really talking about sin. Jesus, this is not the problem I'm here for.

But inn't that what happens when we get into community with Jesus? He has this way of exposing us, of just going right to the core. We think we came here for something and then we encountered Jesus. And it's like, I wasn't prepared for that. I wasn't prepared for this moment.

I wasn't prepared to be impacted by it. I'm watching the Chosen Season 1 Episode 6 a story I've read a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times. I wasn't prepared to just have it open in me this moment.

Jesus is willing. He's willing to heal. He's willing to help. Just like a true friend. He's willing to invest his time and his energy.

He's willing to sacrifice for us. Maybe that's why I love the passage that you've heard several times this morning. You heard it from Jeremy in our call to worship. You heard it as we gathered around the table in communion. You heard it read by Troy's the moment ago.

And when Jesus thinks of us, his people, those who commit to following him. And we're not just the servants, we're not just people. He tells what to do, laughing with some young parents a couple of weeks ago, talking about having kids. And their kids were like, you just had kids so you could tell us to do stuff. And they said, that's exactly right.

And all the kids go, one day you'll understand. Most kids think, well, you just had me because you needed someone to wash the dishes or mop the floor or what. Jesus didn't come so you'd have more people to shine. All the stuff that needs polishing, to sweep, that makes sure that pearly gate is shining bright. He says, I don't call ye servants, I call you my friends.

And here's the greatest thing that a friend can do to give a life. It's to sacrifice, to invest time, to invest energy. Jesus wasn't willing to walk right by us, laying on our mat and said he was willing to pick us up and to carry to bear our sin. He was willing to lay himself on the altar to be the sacrifice for us, one that we couldn't be for ourselves. We see this incredible story of friendship here in Mark 2.

But don't forget, there are other people in the room, right? There were folks who showed up early to get my seat because I wanted to hear this guy. And I'm not giving it to somebody who's coming late. You should have got here sooner. Andn't it interesting?

When Jesus says, son, your sins are forgiven, the response of the crowd is not. That's incredible. I mean, this guy is broken and maybe full of shame. And the weight of that stigma that has been hounding him his whole life, he has now been freed of that. Isn't this incredible?

The response is, “Who is this guy? What is he talking about?”

See, there are people in your life who think it's more important to know stuff than to love people. I know, just go with me here. But you're going to encounter some people who think it's more important to have knowledge about stuff than actually love people. And Jesus says they're wrong, they're wrong. It's not, not important to know stuff, but it's never more important than loving people.

This isn't just the first century problem though, is it, church? I mean, it's an easy one for me to get sucked into. I can struggle with the same thing. I can be way more judgmental than loving. That's not a hard Move for me.

I can get so focused on being right that I forget about carrying mats and wrecking roofs. I forget about loving people. But Jesus doesn't. Jesus loves everyone, even the critical judger like me. Even the people who have sinned and who are broken.

Like this guy on the mat. Maybe he turns and he says to the crowd, verse 10. But I want you to know it's a bigger deal than what you think it is. I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. That the Son of Man has authority to change an entire life, not just a part of it.

So he says to the man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. And the man gets up and he takes his mat and he goes home. I wonder if he kept that mat. Surely he did so that every time he saw it, he would be reminded not only of what God did in his life, but that he had some friends who were willing to carry him on it, to encounter someone who could do for him what he couldn't do for himself.

So, Church, as we finish this morning, invite you to consider this fellowship of the mat. Who is it that God's inviting you, challenging you, maybe giving you an opportunity to invest some time this week to grow a relationship, to look for a friend. Is there anybody in your world who could use a little friendship? Would you be willing to take that next step? I know it's going to cost you something.

It's going to cost you some of your most precious resource, and that's your time. And you're not going to get it back. But Jesus promises you'll never regret it. See, because even time is something that Jesus redeems so much. So he says, if you're with me, nothing will ever separate us.

Nothing will ever change that timeline. We will get to be together forever. That. That starts now and it goes on to eternity. But we have to change our perspective.

Are we willing to be a friend? Are we willing to engage the power of friendship? So, church, who's Matt do you need to carry this week? Who's someone in your world that maybe your faith might just have the power of making a little bit of change? God might use it to make a change.

Or maybe who do you need to get honest with about your own mat, about the things where you've been laying and you've been unwilling to ask for help?

Or is there a roof that you need to wreck this week, a way that you need to stand up on behalf of one of your friends? I'm not sure what God has for you this week. I'm praying and I'm trusting and believing that he'll reveal that to you. But if there's any way that we can help you take your next step on that journey, we'd love to. God, would you open our eyes this week to what you have for us?

We're so thankful for the friends that are surrounding us, literally surrounding us today, the people that we love and care about. Those folks who have been the fellowship of the map for us, who've been able to encourage us and challenge us and speak life and love into us. Those folks, those men and women who have reminded us of your amazing love and your gift of life, who have embodied literally Jesus, your hands and feet to us, they served us, helped us walk when we couldn't take a next step. They had given us a cup of cold water when we were parched thirsty. God, would you help us to be those kinds of friends this week?

Would you help us to be willing to make an investment of time? And whether that's a simple conversation or a note or just holding open a door, God, would you prompt us and would you make our spirit sensitive to your leading? We might enact that power of friendship once again in the world. Today we're praying that you will be at work in and through us to open our hearts to the ways that you want your kingdom to come here in Lubbock. God, would you help us to follow you down that road?

Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you wouldn't sit by and watch us laying on our mat. But you carried us and our sin, our brokenness right to the cross. You bore it for us and God, you raised him back to life that we might have hope of life with you in eternity. That you have given us back our most precious resource, time, in a way that we could never have done on our own. So God, would you help us to be generous with it?

This week we pray in Jesus name.