I am devouring the book of Luke right now. I can’t get away from chapter 5 and I am in awe of how I ever read through these scriptures before and didn’t feel this slap in the face. God has a beautiful way of revealing things to us for specific reasons and at specific times. In Luke chapter 5 I read through a story I have heard a number of times…
18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
Wonderful, I thought to myself, been here….read this… wonderful. Well, God had another plan. I am in love with these verses, I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around how beautiful God’s word is. Here there are a group of guys, I’ll call friends, that are trying to get their sick friend help. They tried the easy route and nope, unsuccessful. Most of us wouldn’t have gotten even this far. But they aren’t done yet, they are determined and devoted to their friend. They go as far as CLIMBING ON A ROOF and lifting their friend over the crowd in order to reach Jesus. I need to pause right now because I swear my mind is about to explode….. I can’t tell you how many sick friends I have had, lost friends that are close around me, or family members that just need Jesus and I have gone barely as far as making a phone call or sending them a text message in attempts to get them to Jesus. How unbelievable is this example we see in Luke of friends that surely went the extra mile to bring their friend to Jesus. When I have had a sick friend it would be a MAJOR gesture of love and compassion to bring them a bowl of soup, let alone make attempt after attempt and drag them on a roof in order to bring them to the ultimate healer and provider. They never gave up, never thought of excuses, and never received anything in return. WOAH, how lost can we be at times even as Christians and walking closely with the Lord?
Praise God for his deliverance, redemption, grace, mercy, and love.
Oh the irony…
At first I can see what we are talking about RIGHT NOW in this.
But at second glance I am convicted because I there are people at school I need to keep pursuing to help them eventually come to Jesus. HE put ME in their lives…what makes me think someone else is going to drag them on the mat to Jesus?!