Other People
In this healing narrative, the supporting cast, so to speak, is made up of the crowd and the four friends of the paralytic.
The crowd makes it impossible for the paralytic to get close to Jesus, at least physically. Moreover, in the crowd, there are some who will turn against Jesus. In fact, this passage reports the first conflict between Jesus and the scribes in the Gospel according to Mark [1].
The four friends, on the contrary, help bring the man to the encounter with Jesus. And as all 3 gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) put it, Jesus "saw their faith" (not just that of the sick man) and heals him.
In our lives, who help us grow closer to Jesus Christ? And who prevent us from coming closer to Him?
And am I one of the crowd who keep others from Jesus? or am I one of the friends who bring others to Jesus?
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[1] Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002; p. 61.
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