Motivated by Love

Like the picture on the box cover of a jigsaw puzzle, Mark 2:1-12, gives a picture of what the Church should look like here on earth.  It shows the love, concern and compassion the Church should have toward those who need to encounter Jesus. This passage tells the story of four friends whose love drove them to overcome a variety of obstacles in their journey to bring a paralyzed friend to Jesus.

The story in Mark 2 is a very familiar one; but we often read it so quickly that we miss the fine details. Consider some of these gems:

• Jesus preached the Word (vs. 2),
• Crowds came to encounter Jesus (vs. 3). They were not drawn by the theatrics of the church.
• The 4 friends encountered obstacles; but used innovation, found a ladder, found tools, tore through a roof, and found some rope to lower their friend into the presence of Jesus (vs. 4).
• Jesus rewarded their faith (vs. 5).
• The religious people did not even recognize God the Son right in front of them (vss 6-7),
• Jesus not only showed-up; but He also showed-out by healing the lame man (vss 8-9),
• Spiritual healing took place, before physical healing (vss 10-11), as Jesus accepted the man in the condition in which he came, but loved him to where he needed to be.
• The man, after being healed, IMMEDIATELY got up! He refused to lay there any longer (vs. 12). I am perplexed that so many who experience salvation, still choose to continue in their sin.
•  Jesus’ actions cause people to glorify God (vs 12). Preachers would do well to follow Jesus’ example, rather than trying to build fan clubs to themselves.
• When people truly encountered God, rather than religion; they said, “We never saw anything like this!” (vs 12) 

These are just a few of the amazing things that we see in this picture of what a church “on mission” should look like.  In all of this, one major thing stands out – LOVE.  The men loved Jesus and they loved their friend. Their love drove them to bring their friend to Jesus and it made an impression on all who witnessed the event. 

John 14:34-35 states, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Tertullian wrote, “See how these Christians love one another.” A mark of the early Church was their love and it should still be a mark of the Church (true believers) today.

As I close, l encourage you to ask yourself, "How well am I loving others – inside and outside the Church?" If you have time, listen to and think about the old song, “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love.” --  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo4ijOIs6as