Matthew 9:1-7, Mark 2: 1-12, Luke5: 17-26

In the last two weeks, we have explored two different attributes of Love. In our first week, we discovered that Love is observant. Love is attentive. Love seeks to know what brings joy. Love notices how events or people affect the Beloved. Love perceives needs in others.

Last week, we discerned that Love is Active. Love does not sit by passively when It observes a need. Love works to relieve suffering or bring joy. Love expends energy for the Beloved. Love is a verb.

This week, we will examine a third attribute. Love is steadfast. Steadfast isn’t a word we use much in day-to-day discussions. Synonyms for steadfast include unwavering, resolute, persistent, and unswerving. Love is dedicated.

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.” (Mark 2:1-5 NIV)

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. (Luke 5:18-19 NIV)

Jesus is in Capernaum, and because it is His home, He is well-known. Four men observed a need in the life of a paralyzed man and determined to take the man to Jesus. Transporting a paralyzed man was a feat in and of itself! There were no wheelchairs or hospital gurneys to assist. The four men did not have smoothly paved roads or sidewalks to travel on. The decision to transport the man to Jesus would require hard work. Still, the men loved enough to actively work to meet the needs they observed in the paralyzed man’s life.

Once the four men arrived carrying the paralyzed man, they encountered yet another barrier. The crowd was so large they couldn’t take the man inside to meet Jesus. As I imagine the scene, I can picture the four men encouraging one another as they carry the paralyzed man through crowded streets. “Hey, watch out for that pothole.” “Uh-oh, a big group of sheep approaching; everybody shift to the left!” “Come on, guys! Just two more blocks. We got this!” When we pause and think about the circumstances surrounding the task of bringing the man to Jesus, we can empathize with the four men. I wonder if they felt excited that they were almost there, cheering each other on, and then turned the corner only to see a crowd. A crowd spilling out into the street and blocking the entrance to the home where Jesus was staying. What would you have felt if you were one of the four men? Disappointment? Defeated? Perhaps even discouraged? Yet, we know from Scripture that they didn’t give up even if they felt those emotions.

The Love the four men demonstrated for the paralyzed man was steadfast. They were determined and persisted even in the face of a new obstacle. The four men were not swayed from their mission to bring the paralyzed man to Jesus. Their Love was dedicated.

This is purely fanciful on my part, but can you imagine the scene? The four men pause and lower the paralyzed man to the ground while they catch their breath and plan their next move. One man might have turned to the other three and said, “Right, you three stay here. I’m going to do some reconnaissance work.” As he surveyed the crowd, he walked around the house. Nope, no access to a back door. No window big enough to lift him through. There was no break in the crowd to squeeze in through the front door. And then, he noticed the stairs on the side of the house!

The four men did not allow difficulty to sway them from their mission. They did not give up because it was hard. They refused to surrender. Their Love was steadfast, and they persevered until the paralyzed man was face-to-face with Jesus. Is there a situation in your life that challenges your Love for another? Are you tempted to give up? Love is not easy; it requires much of us. But, I pray you will be encouraged by this reminder that Biblical Love is Steadfast.

Serving alongside you,

Carla