Kingdom families are a beautiful thing to see. When we look at the structure of how God ordained families to be, we witness a master plan at work. We see the protector and provider (father), we see the nurturer and supporter (mother), and when the two join together they produce a beautiful creation, children. Kingdom relationships, absolutely amazing! Just as a husband and wife join together to produce a miracle, so too has God allowed and created opportunities for friends to produce miracles. The bible declares in Proverbs 17:17 (NIV), “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” The power of Kingdom Friends are crucial to the life a believer and can be even more so, in the life of an unbeliever.
One source defines a friend as “a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter.” In Mark 2:1-5 (NLT), we see the what the result of the faith of your friends can be. Although the bible does not explicitly refer to these men as “friends”, I believe that the qualities and actions they display in the text, are the epitome of how kingdom friends would operate. As we continue, I’d like to share few examples of a kingdom friend.
“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
The first scripture that we referenced in Proverbs said that, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” And in this passage we find a man who has experienced a life of adversity due to his physical condition of being paralyzed. This man could not stand and could not walk. Although Jesus was in town, there was no way for him to possibly get to Jesus on his own. But we thank God for kingdom friends! Friends who practically apply the Word of God that says, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” -Romans 15:1 (KJV)
Our first example of a kingdom friend is one that will position themselves. They position themselves to be able to see the physical and or spiritual needs of those whom they call friend. Friends are willing to bear your burdens and not only help you based on selfish motives. We see in the text that the four men carried this paralyzed man, not looking at how helping would benefit them, but for the sole benefit of helping their friend. When kingdoms friends identify that you need help they come to your aid. If there is a physical need, they will seek to support you physically. Some years ago in my younger 20s, I called on a friend to help me move furniture from out of my apartment. I initially told him that it would only take a few hours. However, unbeknownst to me, it would take a lot longer than that. A few hours turned into midnight I as experienced various challenges that prohibited me from the original plan. My friend, even with having other things planned for that day stayed with me knowing that I had no other help. That night he positioned himself to help me physically, but there are times when need physical and spiritual support.
The paralyzed man needed both. Although today we may not physically have to carry someone, we indeed may be needed to carry those who are spiritually paralyzed. Once that need is identified that kingdom friend will begin to pray for you and with you. That friend will even encourage you. Sometimes we may find someone with a paralyzed prayer life, or paralyzed by the mistakes of the past. Or even paralyzed by offense that prevents one from experiencing the fullness of God’s peace and joy. I can only imagine what the four men were saying to the paralyzed man as they carried him through the streets. Knowing that there was a man who could help him. We as believers have to not only position ourselves to see the need but will willing to take the need to the one who can meet it.
Sometimes in our pursuit to support others, we may find ourselves experiencing some blockades. These men encounter that very thing as they attempted to get the paralyzed man to Jesus. Our text says that there was no room inside the house even outside the door! What an obstacle to be facing, knowing that your breakthrough or that of a friend is just over that wall that seems to large to conquer. But I submit to you that the second quality of a kingdom friend is one who will press! The scripture says, “They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd…”. Imagine walking around the corner to a limited food pantry and finding that there is line that stretches down the street and around the corner. Imagine the thoughts that would run through your mind. Thoughts of, “they’ll run out of food before I get to the front”, “this line is too long,” or “my family won’t be able to eat tonight.” Sometimes in life, the enemy will feed us lies and doubt in an effort to make us give up on our faith. But I am so excited that we are shown an example of what we should do in the face of trials and obstacles. WE MUST PRESS! We find these four friends pressing beyond how the situation looked, pressing beyond any negative thoughts they may have had and found the courage to keep on going! We see in the text that they had creative faith! By faith they created a way to get to Jesus and climbed on the roof of the house. This is a testament of the supernatural wisdom that faith can lead to.
Faith can get us through doors that are closed to us. Faith can allow us to penetrate walls that appear impenetrable. And we see that faith displayed where the scripture says, “They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head.” It is in this action that we see the third quality of a kingdom friend. Not only will they position themselves, not only will they press, but a kingdom friend will press until they prevail! These four friends began to dig a whole in the roof in order to get the paralyzed man to Jesus. And the bible declares, that as a result of their faith, Jesus healed the paralyzed man.
Kingdom friends won’t stop praying for you or fighting for you until they help you to get to Jesus. And that is what we as believers everywhere should do. Point people to Jesus and encourage them to develop an authentic and intimate relationship with him. Knowing that he is the only one who can heal us. Knowing that he is the only one that can deliver us from the paralyzed states in our lives. I pray that each of us would endeavor to be, a Kingdom Friend.
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