Lowered through the Roof: A Generous Sacrifice

“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.” — Mark 2:3

Mark 2 is a beautiful example of the magnificence and majesty of Jesus. He was captivating people from miles around the town of Capernaum. The crowd grew so large that people gathered around the home He was in without being able to see or hear, simply because they knew that a man named Jesus was inside.

Many people flooded to the outskirts of the crowd, and most would selfishly plot themselves in a place along the edge, hopeful to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Somewhere along the way four men saw an opportunity to help a brother in need. A paralytic man desired to be not only a part of this gathering, but to be forever changed by interacting with Jesus.

Present Day: The remains of Capernaum’s synagogue and the surrounding homes built of dirt and stone.

The man could not get to Jesus by himself. He could not walk or squeeze through the crowd despite his great need. He needed the help of others.

Creative, Tenacious Generosity

One man’s life was radically changed because of the sacrifice of others. In verse four, it says the four men could not get the paralyzed man to Jesus because of the crowd. It took creative planning to fully execute their generous act. They made an intentional plan to dig a hole in a dirt and tile roof to make an impact.

It is also important to see that the generosity in the story was carried out by “some men” who were never identified. It took humble servants to step up and sacrifice. It was not about what they could do, or that they held some special authority, but that they recognized the opportunity for a friend to be changed by Jesus.

Many of the elements of this story are seen in the families at The Signatry. We encourage fundholders to get creative and intentional with their generosity impact. We work with complex assets and turn them into charitable dollars, because we understand that sometimes sacrifice requires creative thinking and tenacity.

When families use their fund to work behind the scenes funding projects or volunteer behind the curtain for their favorite cause, this work matters. The four men may have never stepped foot in the room where the healing took place, but they provided the means.

Generosity Fuels the Mission

Most of us hear the story of the paralytic man lowered through the roof as a story of Jesus’ healing power. However, consider the generosity of the men who created the opportunity for healing. We can follow this example to generously lift others up and give them the gift of Jesus. We do not need to be special, rich, or well-connected, just available and willing.

You may have heard it before that if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. The generational support and foundation for eternal generosity at The Signatry is only made possible with a like-minded community sacrificing together for God’s Kingdom. The paralytic man may never have experienced new life from Jesus if just one man attempted to get him on the roof that day. In Mark 2:5 it says, “When Jesus saw their faith,” that the man was healed. It was not the “paralytic man’s faith” but the faith of those who gave to the need that was also important to the work.

The Signatry family is committed to investing resources across the globe for building up generational, long-lasting impact programs. Would you join us in the vision of solving the world’s greatest problems, and giving the gift of Jesus’ healing to the world? If you have not already, you can begin your family’s journey on our Start a Fund page.