Having friends and being a good friend

The story about the four friends bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus told in Mark 2:1-12 teaches many powerful lessons to us. Jesus is teaching in a full house and there is no way for them to get in the traditional way – the door – so they get their friend to Jesus in a very non-traditional way – through the roof. The point is that they knew their friend needed Jesus and had no hope without Him so they were desperate. Jesus was evidently impressed with their love and devotion to their paralyzed friend and their faith and trust in Him to heal. Verses 4-5 say:

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.”

I am struck by the fact that it doesn’t speak about the paralyzed man’s faith, but about the faith of his four friends. See, these four people knew how to be good friends. They knew that involved doing whatever it took to help their other friend in need and what he needed was Jesus. Their faith and their action made this event possible.

I am also struck by the fact that the religious leaders can never be happy about something good Jesus does. They always find fault with something or someone. These are the guys who should be the biggest cheerleaders for Jesus and for these four friends, but all they do is complain and find fault. And to add one other thing to the mix, they don’t see fit to bring any of their friends to see Jesus. They already know Jesus has been used by God to heal people (1:45). They thought his teaching was important enough for them to go hear. Surely they have a friend who also needs to be healed! Surely they have a friend who also would benefit from Jesus’ teaching! Where are their friends?

Either they didn’t have any good friends or they didn’t know how to be good friends! I am not sure which is worse.

• I believe a Christian has a duty before God to have friends. This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but I think this passage and many others lift up the value God places on friendship. We have a duty to make friends if for no other reason but to obey God.
• I believe a Christian has a duty before God to make friends with non-Christians. Over and over again the bible tells us to be a witness for Christ and to develop a good reputation for the things of Christ with people outside the faith. There is no better way to do that than in the context of friendship. That is why it is critical for us to make friends with people far from God. They need to see Jesus in us and they can’t do that very well from a distance.
  
• I believe a Christian has a duty before God to learn how to be a good friend. A good friend can always be counted on to love and support you in your time of need. They can be counted on to do the right thing. They are trustworthy and true to you. And a good friend should always point his or her friends to Jesus in natural ways that are both explicit and implicit, conscious and unconscious, through word and deed.

Which do you think would be worse for a Christian – to not have friends or to not know how to be a good friend? What is God teaching you about friendship through this story?