From today’s reading of Mark 2

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. – Mark 2:1-4

I recently heard a message on this passage from Erwin McManus of Mosaic church *. The part of the message that most impacted me was Erwin’s description of Biblical community, or “tribe”. Somewhere around the nine minute mark he makes the point that the strength of a tribe is not measured by the strength of those who are standing beside us, but rather by the weakness of those that the tribe refuses to leave behind.

Yes, yes, yes.

The example of these four friends of the paralytic is a powerful one. They were not willing to leave their friend behind so they could be free to go listen to Jesus without having to worry about him, his mat, ropes, roofs, etc. No, they were driven, out of their love for their friend and their healthy sense of what real community is, to do whatever it took to get their friend close to Jesus. There’s far more to this passage, and the verses following, than just that one truth. But that truth is what starts it all off. They removed part of the roof and lowered the brother down, right in the middle of Jesus’ teaching, because they knew that Jesus had what their friend needed.

Years ago I was listening to a young pastor cast vision for his flock, telling them where we were going as a community, what the go-forward themes and strategies would be, etc. In that message he exhorted the crowd in this way: “We’re going forward! If you can’t keep up, we’re going to leave you behind!” At the time, that statement bothered me, but not enough for me to work up the courage to confront the pastor.

Now when I think about it, I think it’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard.

It’s true, in man-made organizations often the individual is sacrificed for the good of the group. But God’s value system is different. God sent Jesus to minister to all and to call out to all, true, but he especially, on purpose, sent Jesus to the losers, the sinners, the low-lifes, the have-nots, the wrong-doers, the rejects, the drunkards, the swindlers, the diseased, the blind, the lame, the paralytics. These people, by definition, will slow down a movement, because they are already so far behind the cultural leaders and societal fast-trackers. They are not the best and brightest. But they are who Jesus was especially sent to: a lonely demon possessed man living among the tombs, a lonely tax collector, a zealous misfit with insurrection on his mind, uneducated fishermen, a woman of ill-repute.

These people don’t look good on the brochure. But Jesus went to them, loved them, gave them the choice seats at the banquet. When the one is lost, the ninety-nine must be left in the pasture so the one can be found.

When a friend is unable to walk, walls need to be climbed and roofs need to be removed. Whatever it takes, to get them close to Jesus.

* The message was released 8/17/2014 – it is called “Tribe: Carry” and it can be downloaded from the Mosaic podcasts page.