Humility

In Mark 2:1-12 is the story of the 4 friends who broke through the roof of the house to bring a paralytic to Jesus. When Jesus saw them, what was His response? To the paralytic, he called “son”. A term that indicated warmth and favour. If some men broke through the roof of my house, I might call them a few things, but definitely not “son”. I would not view them favourably. So what was it about them that Jesus viewed favourably?

They were humble enough to admit that they needed help and to seek for that help. In the only way they knew – breaking through roofs. Often, it takes humility to ask for help. How many of us have not asked help at times, because it was too embarrassing to ask for it? The man had physical needs – he was paralyzed, he was handicapped. We may not be physically handicapped, but we may be emotionally, mentally, socially or spiritually handicapped. 


Often we are too proud to admit it. We try to be strong, cool about it. We might be having a dull pain of loneliness or insecurity, but we hide it and appear cool. We might even try drowning ourselves with alcohol or drugs – only to wake up in the morning with a big hangover and still the same hole in our hearts. Are we going to be humble enough to recognize we need help, just like the paralyzed man? God will views favourably those who are willing to humble themselves.

Isa 66:2 (NIV) "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, ..."