BREAK THE ROOF TILES…
 

As I started making notes for this week’s blog I was sitting in the staffroom at our local church Primary school amidst the devastating news. A teacher has died suddenly and unexpectedly and the ripples of shock were emanating throughout the school community and for her family.

Being present felt the right thing to do but also helpless in a way, because there are no words at this time.

I had some time to contemplate scripture as I waited between break and lunchtime and everyone was in the classroom again. The passage was the story of the man who could not walk who was brought to Jesus by his friends but who could not get through the crowds. They therefore used an unusually determined route – through the roof. It’s a well-known passage.  On this occasion a particular key concept spoke into the situation surrounding me.

But before getting into that, I also had an interlude of contemplation when my eye fell upon the school values hanging up in the corner of the staff room. I know that these give inspiration to the staff, especially at this time, and I couldn’t help relating them to the strength that they all needed right now.

The demonstration of love in their loss was palpable, for their lost colleague and for each other, and now for the children and parents who were yet to hear the news. The courage required to firstly come back into school the day after finding out the terrible news let alone to go back into the classroom carrying it for the children as well as themselves was immense. The honesty required to be open with feelings, and there are always myriad of these at a time like this, was evident and would ultimately be the message given to the children, to be honest about how they were feeling. And the faith (and faithfulness) that inspired many and was shown to their dedication to do their job was foundational.

Yet there were many unanswerable questions. To which the answer can only be “We don’t know”. The why questions that inevitably arise with the shock of a sudden loss.

And at times like this all we have in the helplessness is Jesus.

And his character as a loving, merciful, compassionate son of God.

So as I read through the passage I wondered what it might reveal about Jesus in this school right now. The context is that we find two sets of calling of new disciples – the fishermen who would fish for men and Levi the tax collector – sandwich a series of healings. A man healed of leprosy who was told not to tell anyone and a man who could not walk who was healed in front of a large crowd!

Call – healing – call.

Jesus was teaching and religious leaders had come from far and wide to hear him (and challenge him). He was healing people and the power of God was evident. So much so that the crowd blocked the doorways of the house he was in and so when the friends turned up with their invalided compatriot, paralysed by something unknown, he cannot access the healer.

How much does the shock of sudden loss and unexpected grief paralyse us? Our emotions and our minds can become numb and disoriented. Protecting us from onslaught of sadness or anger or all the other emotions that can flow at a time such as this.

The faithful loving courageous friends did not give up. Instead they found an unorthodox mode of entry. Climbing up on the roof, removing some tiles, making a hole big enough to fit a man on a blanket, they lowered him down into the centre of the crowd who had previously blocked their way.

And here is the key. They did all this to place their friend in front of Jesus.

The religious leaders churlishly challenge Jesus for offering forgiveness (which happens to be the final school value), seeing this as blasphemy for “only God can do that”. They had waited for a messiah and now he was here they could not see. Jesus knows their thoughts, answers their query and heals the man. 

Everyone was amazed (they had seen another miracle and a glimpse of who Jesus actually is), praised God and were filled with awe. They saw remarkable things that day.

Jesus made a promise when preaching on the mount – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4)

We say Rest in peace and Rise in Glory of those who die – because God is merciful to those who die and for those who believe there is a promise of life eternal, that they “will not perish but have eternal life”. That is a life with God in the perfect new creation to come.

For those who are left behind in grief and sorrow, amidst the pain, we can feel helpless.

But the courageous, faithful, loving thing to do might just be to break through the roof and place them in the centre, right in front of Jesus.

They will be comforted.

That’s his promise to us at this time.

Let us pray and continue to pray for all those affected, at school, in our church and for the family.

Amen.
 
¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
²⁰ When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
²¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
²² Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”


WORSHIP THE KING!