It Takes A Community To Serve The Hurt [Devotional]

People are hurting every day. The story of the Gospel is literally a love letter to those who are broken, hurting, suffering, and without hope. It is in this time that we can find hope in God. It is in this time we find salvation. It is where we can begin to grow.

For the Church, we want to share who God is and develop a reliance on Him.

For counselors, we want to see people find peace and comfort.

What if these two ideas were not at odds, but instead aligned together. I propose that to truly serve a community, it isn’t just an idea to consider, but a necessary part of finding wholeness.

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.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 2:1-12

Whose Story Is This About?

What if we as Christians were so known in the community that they literally take off a roof to get people with mental and medical health to be ministered?

But this is not just a story about Jesus.

The paralyzed man was healed. It took faith to get him there and only God can offer that. But there was no doubt Jesus could heal.

But this is not just a story about the paralytic.

Let’s actually focus on the four men that took the man to Jesus. They stopped working and with great faith made sure this paralyzed man was seen. Even when the crowds were too great, they were resourceful. The four men did not receive anything from Jesus, but they were the faithful to bring the paralytic man to Jesus. Their compassion, their hope, their love, their support through the power of God saved that man.

This man could have been a farmer, a doctor, someone unemployed, a student, or a salesman. But they had faith that Jesus could heal them. And they brought the man forward, any means necessary. Including carrying him far from his home and taking off the roof of a building to get the man in front of Jesus.

We are that person. We can serve our fellow man. We have that friend, neighbor, coworker, and homeless person. Take them to a counseling session. Connect them with a church. Pray with them.

Hurt Leads To Hopelessness

Hurt left unattended leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness leads to

Suicide is the result of no one thing. Hopelessness. Depression. Sexual abuse. Fear and loneliness. Helplessness. Uncontrollable guilt and pain.

To those whole hurt, do not suffer in silence or isolation. Seek help.

But to the Church and to the counselors, you cannot help them alone. You need each other. Counselors have the knowledge, the experience, and the skills to handle crisis. Church, you have the manpower, the breadth, and the resources to equip, encourage, and empower.