The Asia-Pacific Institute of International Studies (APIIS)

“They come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.” Mark 2:3

That was a very touching sight, those four strong men carrying their helpless friend to the Healer. That is the kind of help we ought always to be willing to give to one another. There are on all sides of us many persons who need to be helped. There are lame people to be assisted over rough places, and blind people to be led along the way they cannot see themselves, and even paralytics who have to be carried in strong hands. The Christian law of love requires that we shall be ready always to lend a hand to those who need the aid we can give. We never can tell how soon it may be our turn to require for ourselves just such friendly aid as our neighbour requires from us today. If we expect to have people turn aside from their work to help us in our time of need, we must be willing to do as much for others who now require help.

There are many ways of doing the neighbourly duty to others. These four men bore their friend to Jesus. They could not heal him themselves, but they could carry him to the One who could heal him. All about us are neighbours and friends who are spiritual paralytics. We cannot cure them, but perhaps we can take them to One who can do for them what we cannot do.

We should notice, too, that there were four of these men who carried their friend to Jesus. One of them could not have done it ; two of them could not have carried him with ease; even for three the trembling burden would have been hard to bear. But when all four of these brawny men united their strength, they bore the man along without difficulty. So it is in helping sinners to Christ. There is strength in the union of hearts and hands. When one alone cannot take his friend to the Saviour, let him call others to his aid, and let them unite in their efforts on his behalf.

“The power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Luke 5:17

It was not always so. Once we read that Jesus could not do any mighty works at a certain place. It was not said that He would not, but that He could not. It seems strange that could not should ever be written of the omnipotent Christ.

Did He then have his weak hours? Were there times when the power fled from His arm? No!

So no doubt the reason the power of the Lord was so graciously present to heal at this time was because the people’s hearts were open to take what He had to give. They met His compassion and love with faith, and the divine power in Him wrought unrestrained.

We ought not to miss this lesson. There is never any want of power in Christ to bless us, and yet we may be near Him and still receive no blessing from Him. He may have come to us eager to impart the rich gifts of strength, comfort, joy, help, wisdom, and yet He may be unable to bestow them.

We ourselves must be in a condition to receive what He has to give, or the blessing cannot be bestowed. We can shut up our hearts so close as to keep the mighty Christ outside. Weak as we are, even the divine omnipotence cannot compel any blessing into our lives. There must be a willingness on our part to receive. It is because of our unbelief that the power of God is not always present to heal and to bless. Then whenever we have faith and are willing to receive what Christ will give, His power will be present to heal, and to pour all manner of rich blessings into our hearts and lives. He will never force us to accept His gifts.

“It was noised that He was in the house.” Mark 2:1

It never can be kept quiet long when Jesus gets into any house. He cannot be hid. The neighbours will soon find out that He is there. The people cannot keep the secret. They will let it out in a great many ways. They will show it in their faces. Those who have Christ in their home do not look like other people. There is a radiance or sunniness about them when they come out that tells of an unworldly source of joy. There is something about their speech, too, that lets out the secret; they cannot help talking about their Guest. So, in spite of themselves, the family in whose house Jesus is will disclose the secret.

Fragrant flowers cannot be concealed, and there is a fragrance about Jesus that always reveals His presence. Light cannot be hidden, and there is so much light in Him that it shines out at every window and through every chink and crevice of the house where He abides. Love itself is invisible, but wherever it dwells it produces such effects that its presence soon becomes known. It makes people gentle, kindly, thoughtful, unselfish, and fills them with new desires to do good, and to serve and bless others. And wherever Christ is, love is, in all its pervasive, transforming influence.

Some people like to gather beautiful things into their homes: paintings, sculptures, rare things from foreign lands, objects of interest and attractiveness. Some pride themselves on the elegance of their furniture and the fineness of the decorations in their houses. But in no other way can the Christian bring into his home so much beauty, so much joy and comfort, so much true peace, as by making Christ his abiding guest.

No matter how quietly Jesus enters, the neighbours will soon know it, and they will also get the benefit and blessing of it; for from a home where Christ abides there always goes forth a fragrant influence and a loving, helpful ministry

“He put forth his hand and touched him.” Luke 5:13

None of the Jews would have done this. They kept the leper far off, to touch him would defile them. But Jesus was not afraid of defilement. He could as easily have stood afar off and cured the leper by a word, for he sometimes cured miles away. But the man needed a touch from a warm hand to assure him of love and sympathy. The touch left no taint of pollution on the Master, but it left the leprous body clean as a child’s.

There are some who want to help others, if at all, at a convenient distance. They work through committees or agents. It is a great deal better to come close to those to whom we would do good. There is a wondrous power in a human touch. A gift to the poor may do good in whatever way it comes; but if you bestow it yourself, and manifest personal interest and sympathy, its value will be largely increased. You put something of yourself into your gift.

Or a man may be threatened with loss of property. He turns to Christ for help. “If thou wilt, thou canst save me from this sore loss.” Yes, he can, there is no doubt about that. But will he ?

The gospel may save the fallen, though coming through the cold air from a lofty pulpit; but it will be far more likely to save if the sinner feels the touch of a hand of love, and catches the message warm from quivering lips.

There is no danger of receiving defilement even from touching the worst outcasts, if you go to them with the love of God in your heart, yearning to do them good. Do not stand far off and toss the bread of life to them, as men throw gifts into leper hospitals. Do not slip your tract under the door and hurry away as if you were ashamed of what you had done. Go to the homes of the worst people. Give them your hand; it will not soil it to clasp theirs, and you never can know what a thrill of new life it may start in hearts long unused to tenderness, yet yearning for sympathy. Put heart and inspiration into all you do. You never can know what a thrill of inspiration and life you may give to weary and disheartened ones.

“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Luke 5:12

This prayer shows a beautiful faith. The leper had no doubt whatever of Christ’s ability to heal him. The only question in his mind was whether he would be willing to do it. There might be some reason why the Lord would not wish to answer his request. It would be an unutterable blessing to have this loathsome, terrible leprosy taken away. Jesus could do it if he would, and he would do it if it were best that it should be removed. So we find in his brief prayer acquiescence as well as humility.

This was a prayer, not for spiritual, but for physical blessing, and in such things we never can know what really is best for us. A mother may bend over a dying child and plead with affectionate yearning for its life. God will never blame her for the agonizing persistence of her plea, yet she dare not pray wilfully. She must end her most intense pleading with the submissive refrain, caught from Gethsemane, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” It may not be the best blessing to her or to her home to have her child spared.

Or a man may be threatened with loss of property. He turns to Christ for help. “If thou wilt, thou canst save me from this sore loss.” Yes, he can, there is no doubt about that. But will he ?

He will if it is best, for he never chastens but for his people’s good. But will it be a blessing to have this calamity averted ? The man cannot tell. Perhaps it may be necessary for him to suffer this misfortune in his temporal estate, that he may not lose his inheritance in heaven.

Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is an illustration. He wanted it removed; but no, it was necessary to keep him from spiritual pride, from being exalted above measure. Prayer should be submissive as well as earnest. We do not know what we should pray for, nor if what we desire would really bless us.

This he said, making all meats clean. - Mark 7:19 (R. V.)

This is a remarkable rendering of the Revisers, which has the support of their profound scholarship; and inaugurates an era in the history of the Levitical institutions. Before this hour arrived men were clean if they ate certain kinds of food, and unclean if they ate others. But from this moment, the Evangelist tells us, these outward distinctions were abolished. Henceforth all meats were to be viewed by the followers of Jesus as equally clean. There is, however, need that we should remember two or three things in respect to food.

(1) That every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it can be received with thanksgiving. The act of thanksgiving is the test for the fitness and unfitness of food, as the ancient sign was supposed to be when made by the knight over a glass of wine offered by a stranger. Do not touch what you cannot thank God for.

(2) Take care to eat for the need as the body rather than for its pleasure. - There are a great many dainties and luxuries heaped on our tables which we take simply for the pleasure of eating. It is here that we are assailed with temptation, and need to be on our guard. The fact of food being pleasant eating is not in itself sufficient to justify our taking it. It may clog our digestion, and impair our power for thought and prayer and service.

(3) Be moderate in the amount you eat.-Quite as many over-eat as over-drink. We should always have the girded loin. The majority of the diseases of modern life have been traced to the habit of eating to excess. We are told by eminent authorities that we ought not to rise from table with the sense of having eaten to the full. Let your moderation in this also be known to all men.

(They) told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. - Mark 6:30

Talking things over with Jesus! It is a precious secret! When one has been out in the world, it is delightful to talk over what has happened in the seclusion of the home. We have read of a wife who reserved one room in the house, which no one was permitted to enter but her husband and herself; and there they interchanged their mutual confidences. So it is a blessed habit to talk over everything with Jesus, and to review the events of the past beneath the light of His loving eyes.

"We have had much success, Master," we cry; "the cities were moved; the devils were subject; the crowds followed us everywhere." Ah, children, He seems to say, Those who cry "Hosanna" to-day will cry "Crucify" to-morrow: the real work of God is not done amid congratulating crowds, but in the heart's depths, and in the ante-chamber. See that ye dwell not on the excitement of the outward reception, lest you attribute your success to something in yourselves, and pride yourselves upon it, and become unsuitable for My use. All success comes from above.

"We have been greatly persecuted, and our mission seems to have been a failure, Master," we cry at another time. "Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Care not for it, the same wise Counsellor replies: I at least am satisfied; I will see to it that your reward is according to your faithfulness, if not to your success; and there shall be a remnant of good soil that shall repay one hundredfold.

Thus His loving words extract the poison from success, and rally us from despondency. Oh, Christian workers, get into the secret of His presence, that He may correct, criticise, or encourage as He please.