Building One Another
STRETCHER BEARERS Vol 13 No 3
January 28, 2014
Dear Friend,
I love this portion of the famous encounter between Jesus and a paralytic:
“Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith…” He forgave the paralytic and healed him! Mark 2:3-5*
It was my teacher, Chuck Miller, who opened my eyes to this text when he asked the simple question, “Who are the stretcher bearers in your life?”
Who are the people – when you are down – physically, emotionally, and spiritually or in any other way – who carry you into the presence of Jesus? Who will stop at nothing to lift you up? Whose faith Jesus sees – not even glancing at your own faith or lack of it in the moment – and raises you up?
These are people to treasure. Consider who they are – and thank them. In turn be a stretcher-bearer to those people our Lord puts into your life!
With joy - E. Stanley Ott
Copyright 2014 E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the NRSV