The God Squad

Recently the pastor at my church preached a sermon about Jesus healing a paralyzed man at Capernaum.

*Spark Notes version – four men are so determined to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing that they are willing to rip open a roof and hand-deliver their friend straight down to Jesus to circumvent the crowds.

Here’s the passage from Mark 2:1 -12.

 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!”

I added emphasis to the part where it says, “When Jesus saw their faith…” because I wanted to point out that Jesus could SEE their faith. These guys weren’t letting the crowds stop them or saying to their paralyzed friend, “We’ll come back later, dude.” Their faith had grit. So much so that Jesus could see it and chose to immediately act upon it.

These kinds of friends are precious. We all need these kinds of faith-filled people in our lives. Our own personal God Squad for when we become paralyzed in one way or another.

Eight years ago I became “paralyzed” by my life. I was completely overwhelmed by my responsibilities and could not figure out what was wrong. At that time I had a daughter in active addiction. I was attending online college while going to an internship twice a week. I was homeschooling my children and then my family surged to ten children overnight when I was given my 8-month-old baby granddaughter after my daughter was suddenly incarcerated. This was in addition to a hyperactive toddler with ADHD. I was chronically exhausted and falling apart at the seams.

I wanted to ask for help, but I was stubborn and prideful and I was raised in the era where young girls were being brainwashed they could, “Have it all! Do it all!”

I turned to the bible for advice. I knew there were several scriptures about ‘burdens.’

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

“For every man shall bear his own burden.” Galatians 6:5.

Wait, what? Which one was right? Do I ask for help or bear my own burden? The answer lay in digging a little deeper into the translation of the word burden.

The Greek word for burden when it speaks of ‘bearing the burdens of another’ is barýs – (an adjective, also used substantively) – properly, heavy (weighty); (figuratively) what is grievous (burdensome), pressing down on a person with oppressive force. Such a grievous burden makes a person unable to function (enjoy free movement). 

*Spoiler alert – that unable to function part is important. Pay attention.

The Greek word for burden when it speaks of ‘bearing your own burden’ is phortíon – properly, a burden which must be carried by the individual, i.e. as something personal and hence is not transferrable, i.e. it cannot “be shifted” to someone else.

So one burden is like a crushing weight not to be born alone, the other is just the everyday mundane stuff. Good to know.

I called a precious sister in my God Squad and ugly cried to her over the phone telling her I was just so overwhelmed. She patiently listened and said, ” I don’t want to say much, because it would sound like a platitude right now – but know this – you’re under a crushing weight.”

I knew right then and there that God was speaking to me through His word and her confirmation. I placed my needs on social media, confessing that I was NOT OK. I had become paralyzed by this crushing weight called My Life.

I just want to say how stupidly blessed I am by the people in my life – because not only did they offer to help – they followed through. Their faith was something that Jesus could see! I had friends from far and wide and around the world helping in any way and every way they could. Packages with clothes, food, diapers, laundry detergent were showing up faster than the delivery drivers could carry them. People came and taught my kids, folded my laundry, made meals. Money showed up in my PayPal account, covering our Christmas expenses like magic.

I was unable to complete the internship and told my mentor, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just know something is.” I would later learn that my panic attacks and bone-deep exhaustion were being caused by an undiagnosed stomach ulcer. My iron levels were perilously low and one doctor would later go on to comment, “I don’t know how you were able to function.”

I had felt like it was all my fault – these were my choices, right? I chose college, I chose to homeschool, I chose to adopt extra children. I felt like I didn’t have the right to ask for help. This was my mess, and I was supposed to make my own way out of it. In retrospect it’s easy to say that I should have asked for help sooner, not felt guilty about needing it. I had no idea how sick I was becoming and had no idea that I wasn’t meant to carry this weight on my own.

I felt paralyzed, laying on my mat, and needing the faith of others to carry me to the healing hands of Jesus.

So if you find yourself feeling that way – make sure you have a God Squad. The kind of friends where Jesus can SEE their faith. Ask for help when you’re under a crushing weight. It’s not only ok, it’s what the Bible expects of all of us.

Eight years later…. with the help of my God Squad – I’ve graduated college, I’ve graduated a few more children from homeschooling, I’m physically healthy again, and I learned that there are seasons in life where you will need to ask for help, and there will be seasons of life where you will have the privilege of being the helper. The balance is to be gracious in both seasons.

Does someone need to see your faith today? The kind of faith that is so unstoppable it rips apart a roof to get to Jesus? Do you need your God Squad to bear your burdens today? Either way – it’s ok, Jesus will meet you there.

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

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