What are friends for?

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic: Luke 5:17-25
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
I know most of us reading must have read this incident and as Christians we don’t doubt that Jesus Christ heals and forgives even now. The most interesting part about this incident apart from the fact that Jesus miraculously healed that paralyzed person ,that caught me is about the persistence of the paralyzed mans friends. I do not know how many there were maybe 4 at least.
They first tried to get the sick man through the crowd but couldn’t because of the size of the crowd. They then went on top of the house on the roof removed the tiles and lowered him.Well since it was not their house which is pretty obvious since they couldn’t get in, it must have taken some time maybe money and definitely effort to get to that roof after taking permission from the owner of the house to damage his house by removing the roof tiles and then physically lowering him to bring him in front of Jesus for his healing.
This person definitely had some friends who were standing for him and were willing to go all the way no matter what.
Here is the hardest part, are we willing to be like those friends of that paralyzed man mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, willing to go all the way for our friends who cant themselves?
Are we willing to stand for them as they bible tells us to no matter what it takes?
Are we willing to carry their burdens their cross?
Are we willing to just do whatever it takes to,like Jesus Christ did for us.

Reach out in Jesus' name
With hands of love and care
To those who are in need
And caught in life's despair. —Sper

Real love puts actions to good intentions.