One of the things Jesus stated that He had been sent to do, was to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free. I personally know what it’s like be a slave to the power of sin and to live in the brokenness of sin’s consequences. One thing that compels me as a minister is my own personal experience of pain that ultimately brought me to the cross of Christ where I discovered healing and freedom from the brokenness and sin in my life.

One of my favorite accounts in the ministry of Jesus is found in the Mark 2:1-12 where it begins with… “Jesus was in the house.” Now, in this particular house, we’re told there were so many people, that there wasn’t any room left, not even near the door. But something really amazing happened next. It seems four guys who had a paralyzed or “broken” friend began to remove the roof until they had created a hole large enough to lower their friend on his matt down through the hole in front of Jesus. It goes on to tell us that when Jesus saw their faith, He said to their broken friend “Your sins are forgiven, get up and pick up your bed and go home.” The crowd’s response after this amazing spectacle was simply, “Wow!”

Here is my point, in many ways I believe the church is more like the crowd that was keeping the “broken” from Jesus, instead of the four friends who were willing to break through the roof in order to get their ”broken” friend to Jesus. You could see their faith in action, as opposed to the crowd who was there just listening to the preaching. It doesn’t take a lot of faith to be the crowd, but it does takes faith to breakthrough for the broken.

As I listened to the concerns of others over the expected crowds for Easter this past Sunday, I was comforted knowing that we had sent a large group of people out on Sunday morning who would be feeding the homeless in downtown Dallas. They were breaking through for the broken and they were also helping create less of a crowd around here.

Which category do you think you fall into? Are you experiencing your own pain and brokenness right now and need to get to Jesus? Are you a friend to the broken and doing everything possible to help them? Or is it possible that you are you part of the crowd that keeps the broken from getting to Jesus?

Greg Richards is Senior Pastor of Life Church, located at 607 E. Fair in Kaufman. For more information, go to www.yourlifechurch.com.