“And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up on the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus”. Luke 5:20
As I have been reading through the gospels with the women in my church, I’ve felt God so close to me. There are details that I’m seeing now that other times I never saw. I truly believe that this passage of scripture has spoken to my heart in a way that will encourage you as well. So let’s dive into a few scriptures that will probably challenge you and give you some things to ponder.
In the image above you see a man sick with palsy laying on a cot. He was unable to walk due to his illness. This man had friends that were so desperate to see him healed and free that they were willing to go to great lengths with him. My question to you is,”How far would you go”? What would you be willing to sacrifice so that someone else could experience the freedom you live in. How much faith could you muster up to help boost someone else’s faith. In your mind you may think if it was a close family member that you loved deeply, you would give up everything to see them healed, free and whole. I’m sure you never want to see a loved one suffer and if you knew someone that could totally heal them,”How far would you go”? I would love for you to consider how far would you go for the person you hug on Sundays? What about the person that you greet on Sundays? Would you be willing to sacrifice your place of comfort to help the broken get to Jesus? Where would you draw the line? This man was surrounded by friends or strangers that were willing to sacrifice their comfort to get him in the presence of Jesus. I’m sure they did not stand around holding a long conversation with him about why he had the infirmity anyway. I’m also sure they didn’t try to figure out what sin they thought he was being punished for. Let me paint a picture for you based upon what the scripture says. This man written about in scripture could not stand. The friends that helped him after trying to get him in to Jesus saw no other way but to lift him up on the roof of the building while he was laying on his bed of affliction. The same people cut a hole in the roof to lower him right into the midst of where Jesus was. Most of us honestly probably would have given up when we saw that the room was full. We probably would have told him all the other places Jesus would go in hopes he would get this close again. These friends were not going to have it any other way but seeing their friend healed. So my question again is,”How far would you go”? In today’s time we might not have to lift our friend onto a roof that we’ve cut a hole in but we might have to sacrifice sometime. Getting people who desperately need to get to Jesus might look like looking them in the eyes and telling them who God says that they are. It might look like a dinner date to let them share the places they feel broken and unseen. It might look like buying food for a single or even divorced mom that you know is struggling. How many times do you stop and observe the people around you? Do you ever see their pain and know that you could help? We see people and they may not be crippled in the same way the man on the mat with palsy was. The person you encounter may be crippled with grief, they may be crippled from depression, they may be crippled from rejection. It could be that they are crippled from drugs or crippled from alcohol addiction. Honestly they could be crippled with suicidal thoughts or even anxiety. I’m not sure what it could be that’s causing them to feel crippled but what I do know is that healing is always possible. As long as there is Jesus, there is complete and total healing. How far would you go to get someone to Jesus? What would you give to help someone else experience the freedom you have. Would you be willing to give 30 minutes of your time to talk to them about the healing power of Jesus. Maybe you getting them to Jesus would look like offering them a ride to church. Maybe you getting them in the presence of Jesus might look like going with them to a therapy session as support. I don’t know what it will look like for you, but how far would you go to help them get in the presence of Jesus.
In closing, the men did get the man to Jesus and Jesus did heal him. In the final scripture of this story, Jesus heals this man because of the faith and desperation of his friends to do whatever it took to get him into the presence of the healer. People need to know that we are willing to go to great lengths to get them into the presence of our King, the one that heals ALL things. Honestly Im not sure if the people that helped him were friends or strangers that saw how much he needed to be healed. These people or friends could no longer look the other way. The desire for him to be healed became the weight that those men carried. The weight of this man didn’t even matter to them but his healing weighed more. My last and final question again is,”How far would you go”?.
Lord I lift up the one that will read the words here. I pray that you will give them a spirit of noticing. God I ask that you would let them see those that others would ignore. I thank you that they will be so desperate to get the broken to you that they would let nothing keep them from it. Give them strength and courage. God I ask that you make provision for them to help the broken. I pray for complete healing in Jesus name. Amen
I am a wife, a mother a believer in Jesus Christ and a person who has lived with a mental health condition. My desire is to come alongside of those like me who need support. I will write my real, raw, honest journey through this in hopes that you and I can find strength through it together. Your comments are welcomed and honored here. All I ask is that you be respectful with your words because my journey might not look like yours but it is mine. Looking forward to walking alongside you here in this safe space.
P.S
If your looking for perfect grammar and words placed perfect….you won’t find that here. You will find words that come from my heart and the heart of Jesus, hopefully in that you will find hope. I believe with hope comes the courage to step into the safety of the light.
Uplift 
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