April 5

Bearing One Another’s Burdens

Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men. — Mark 2:3 BSB

It was a touching sight—those four strong men carrying their helpless friend to Jesus. That’s the kind of help we should always be willing to give each other. All around us, there are people who need help. Some are struggling through difficult times, others can’t see their way forward, and still others are completely paralyzed by their circumstances. The law of Christian love requires us to always be ready to lend a hand to those in need. We never know when it might be our turn to need the same help we give today. If we expect others to help us in our time of need, we should be willing to do the same for them now.

There are many ways we can fulfill this duty of love to our neighbors. These four men couldn’t heal their friend, but they could carry him to the one who could. All around us are people who are spiritually paralyzed. We can’t heal them, but maybe we can take them to the One who can.

Notice, too, that there were four men carrying their friend. One person couldn’t have done it alone, two wouldn’t have found it easy, and even three would have struggled. But with all four working together, they carried the man without difficulty. The same is true when we work together to bring sinners to Christ. There’s strength in numbers. If one person can’t bring someone to Jesus, they should call others to help, and together they can accomplish what one person couldn’t do alone.