Pictionary
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 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."
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12
Insight
Since I can remember, I've loved to doodle. In grade school, my creations covered my paper bag book cover. Now, during meetings that go too long, I find myself drawing cartoon characters in the margin of my notes. One of my favorite family game night activities is Pictionary, where I get a tad bit competitive, okay, way too contentious.
I'll pick up a card, get an object like a house, airplane, or kitten, and draw without thinking. Those are simple because we all have a picture of what those things look like. A cat has a tail, ears, and whiskers. A house needs a door, windows, and a roof. Easy peasy.
Yet, let me ask you, if it was your turn and you pulled "FAITH" from the card pile, how would you go about sketching that out? Have you ever stopped and asked yourself what does faith look like? What picture would you draw to help individuals grasp this concept?
Many of us would lift our pencils from the paper and give it some thought. I love today's story from Mark 2 about four guys carrying their paralyzed friend to Jesus.
This ragtag group climbed on the roof of the crowded house Jesus was staying at and started peeling off shingles to create a hole and lower their buddy down. They weren't going to let any obstacle prevent them from accomplishing their mission.
How did Jesus respond to all of this commotion and the audacity they displayed? Matthew puts it this way, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'"
Did you catch that? He SAW THEIR FAITH. Faith displayed, faith expressed, faith made visible. On that day, if you were drawing faith, the image would look like four friends who recognized that what their friend needed the most was an encounter with Christ.
We paint a picture for the world to see through our words and actions. Faith isn't a concept to understand but a principle to live out. The most remarkable way faith gets expressed is through self-sacrificing, others-focused love (Galatians 5:6).
When we live this way, we portray the compassionate God we follow. We want to spend our day sketching out countless canvases of love, forgiveness, and grace.
Reflection
What picture of faith are you painting for the world to see?
How can your sketch include caring for the needs of others?
Prayer
God, may my life bring You glory. I desire to spend my days living out the faith I profess. My prayer is that my words and actions would lead others to see You and You alone. Let love and faith define my life. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.