We talk a lot about faith. About believing God. About trusting the process.
But what happens when you’re too hurt to move forward? When has paralysis paralyzed you? When you know Jesus can heal, but you can’t seem to get to Him by yourself?
I learned in Mark Chapter 2, there’s a man who faced this exact reality. He was “taken with a palsy” in other words, paralyzed. The man was not born that way. Something happened to him overnight or overtime. And suddenly, the man who could once walk… couldn’t.
This is a meditation on spiritual paralysis. On being stuck. On needing help you can’t ask for.
If you’re stuck or barely holding on right now, this is for you.
THEY LET HIM DOWN BECAUSE HE WAS HURT
Scripture Reading: Mark 2:3–5
“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they unclosed the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:3–5, KJV)
We tend to hyperfocus on the people who brought the man in. We love talking about the four friends. The ones who tore up the roof. We love the story about Jesus, the great doctor who never lost a patient.
But we forget about the man.
I had to look at the verse again. The Bible says he was “taken with a palsy.” Paralyzed.
And there are a few things that arrested my attention as I read this. I realized.
They let him down because he was hurt.
The man was taken with a palsy. Hewas not born with it. Taken by it.
If I can use my deductive reasoning, the Bible would have been clear if he was born this way.
Just like it says about the man who was “born blind” — Blind Bartimaeus.
Just like it says about the man who was “lame from birth.”
But this text says he was taken with a palsy.
He became paralyzed.
This leads me to believe that this man wasn’t always this way. He wasn’t diagnosed with this at birth. His momma didn’t get the news at the hospital. He didn’t spend his childhood in and out of doctors’ offices.
This happened to him.
Overnight or overtime. By accident or on purpose.
One day, he could walk. The next day, overnight, or overtime, he couldn’t.
This man may have been:
- The head of his household… until he was taken with palsy
- Making good money… until he was taken with palsy
- A college graduate, a CEO, a man with influence and resources… until
Until he was taken.
It took over him. Took over his body. Took over his mind. Took over his life.
They let him down because he was hurt.
WHEN LIFE TAKES YOU
Let me turn the corner for a minute. Somebody here might be reading this and was taken with their own personal paralyzing experience.
You came to this with a spiritual or emotional paralyzing condition. A spiritual debilitating disorder. A devastating situation. An overwhelming problem.
When life is “be lifing.”
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. And it’s so much that it’s paralyzing you.
You find yourself stuck. Can’t move. Can’t see your way forward. Can’t imagine things ever being different. I have a question for you.
Have you ever been hurt?
I know these aren’t for everybody. But I wrote this one for one or two of us who need to understand.
Be honest
Have you been hurt?
Maybe you’ve been paralyzed by something that happened overnight. It was sudden. Unexpected. You didn’t see it coming.
Or maybe it happened overtime. Slowly. Gradually. Like a frog in boiling water — you didn’t notice how bad it was getting until you couldn’t move anymore.
It might have happened:
- By accident (you didn’t ask for this)
- Or on purpose (someone intentionally hurt you)
But either way, it took over your life.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF SPIRITUAL OR EMOTIONAL PARALYSIS
This man in the story was paralyzed physically. His body wouldn’t work.
But let me ask you: What kind of paralysis are YOU dealing with?
Some of us are paralyzed by bad decisions.
- Choices we’ve made that can’t be undone
- Consequences we are still living with
- A past that won’t let us go
- I guess it’s just me
Some of us are paralyzed by abuse.
- Physical, emotional, verbal, sexual
- Things that were done TO you, not BY you
- Scars that won’t seem to heal
Some are paralyzed by bad relationships.
- Divorce that devastated you
- Breakup that broke you
- Betrayal that left you unable to trust
Some are paralyzed by grief.
- Lost someone you love
- A hole in your heart that won’t close
- Tears that won’t stop falling
- Going through all the “what if’s”
Some of us are paralyzed by fear.
- It happened before, so we are afraid it’ll happen again
- Can’t move forward because we are terrified of getting hurt again
- Stuck between what was and what could be
Some are paralyzed by depression.
- Can’t get out of bed
- Can’t see the point
- Can’t imagine things getting better
Some of you are paralyzed by anxiety.
- Constant worry
- Racing thoughts
- Panic that won’t let go
Some of us are paralyzed by a broken heart.
- Loved someone who didn’t love you back
- Wasted time
- Wasted years
- Gave everything and got nothing
- Trusted someone who betrayed you
Some of you are paralyzed by rejection.
- Passed over for the promotion
- Left out of the circle
- Made to feel like you don’t matter
Whatever your paralysis is — physical, emotional, mental, spiritual — it’s real. And it hurts.
They let him down because he was hurt.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON…
We must understand that paralysis in Scripture is never treated as a moral failure.
The man in Mark Chapter 2 is not corrected for his inability to move.
He is not interrogated about his faith.
He is not asked why he didn’t try harder.
He is carried.
Be encouraged my friend. If you’re stuck right now, emotionally, spiritually, or relationally. It may not be because you lack faith. It may be because you’ve been holding yourself up for so long that your soul finally said,
“I can’t do this alone anymore.”
That’s not backsliding. That’s honesty.
And honesty is often the first step toward healing.
His paralysis does not show any indication that he did not believe in Jesus.
He was paralyzed, not faithless. There is a big difference.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAN’T AND DON’T
But I would be wrong if I only focused on the paralyzed man. Because there were other people in this story.
His friends.
And here’s where it gets complicated. Here’s where it gets real.
Have you ever been let down?
Not let down to Jesus (we’ll get to that tomorrow). I mean let down in the bad way.
Let down by:
- A friend you trusted
- A family member you counted on
- A spouse who promised forever
- A church that should have cared
Let me park the car for a minute. (I promise to keep the motor running.)
There’s a difference between “can’t” and “don’t.”
Your momma had bills to pay, so she can’t buy you that game. Your daddy had to work overtime, so he couldn’t make it to your recital.
That’s can’t. They wanted to, but circumstances prevented it.
But then there’s don’t.
Don’t is when they could help you, but they choose not to.
They can get you out, but they don’t. They have the resources to help, but they don’t. They have the hookup, but they don’t make the call.
Have you ever been let down by people who COULD help you but DIDN’T?
- Betrayed by someone close to you
- Abandoned when you needed them most
- Discarded like you didn’t matter
- Looked over when you should have been chosen
- Passed over when it was your turn
- Left out when you should have been included
Have you ever been:
- Misled (they sent you the wrong direction)
- Misguided (they gave you bad advice)
- Mishandled (they treated you carelessly)
That kind of let down is paralyzing too.
Because now you’re not just dealing with the original hurt. You’re dealing with the hurt of being hurt again. This time by people who were supposed to help you.
Let’s be honest: when people have let you down, self-reliance starts to set in. So much and so often that it feels spiritual. It feels as if this burden is a part of your calling.
Not because it is. But because it feels safe!
Am I talking to you?
You learn to stop asking. You build walls instead of roofs. You protect yourself by needing less. And asking for less.
Why?
Because you do not want to be a burden to others.
Then somewhere along the way, you convince yourself that independence is spiritual maturity.
BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS
Let me pause for a public service announcement:
Every let down was putting you in the proper position to get the only help you need.
Read that again.
Every let down was putting you in proper position to get the only help you need.
Yes, it was hurtful. Yes, it was paralyzing. Yes, it was debilitating, embarrassing, and problematic. I toohad to learn this!
But now you’re in the right position.
When family let you down, you ended up before Jesus.
When friends abandoned you, you ended up in the place where the power of the Lord is present.
When people who should have helped you didn’t, God was positioning you to receive help from the One who can’t fail you and won’t leave you.
They let him down because he was hurt.
But here’s what I want you to see: His hurt was the very reason he needed to be let down to Jesus.
If he wasn’t hurt, he wouldn’t have needed healing.
If he could walk on his own, he wouldn’t have needed to be carried.
If he had it all together, he wouldn’t have needed friends to tear up a roof for him.
Your hurt qualifies you for healing.
Not disqualifies. Qualifies.
CONCLUSION
If prayer feels heavy right now, that doesn’t mean God is distant.
It may mean your soul is asking for the kind of help the paralytic needed — to be carried by others who still have strength when yours is gone.
Long prayers might feel impossible right now. Elaborate words might not come. And the silence you used to fill with faith might just feel… silent.
That’s okay.
You don’t have to pray like you used to in order to be heard. It doesn’t have to be deep.
Sometimes the most faithful prayer is the simplest one:
“Lord, I’m here but I’m tired.”
“Lord, I need you!”
“Lord, I am hurt!”
He hears that. And He can and will help.
Talk to you later
Check out these books and gifts on Amazon!
Thanks for reading! As an Amazon Associate, I get a small commission for each purchase you make after you click on my link and you shop, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Please use my links below!
Have you ever needed help but couldn't get there yourself? In Mark 2, four friends did something radical: they tore up…a.co
Interested in exploring the depths of history, education, or religion through engaging articles? I’d love to contribute my expertise as a freelance writer.
Feel free to reach out at kingcamujumbe@gmail.com for collaborations or inquiries. Let’s create something impactful together!
