Scripture:
Luke 5:17-26
Quick Summary:
Four
friends put the lame man on a cot and carry him to Jesus. When they can’t get
into the house, they dig a hole in the roof and lower him in. Jesus heals the
lame man while the religious teachers watch.
The Point:
We can carry our friends to Jesus
with faith.
Questions for Family Time:
1. How did the friends
help the lame man.
a. They carried him
to Jesus. When they couldn’t get through the door, they went through the roof!
2. Did Jesus heal him
right away?
a. No,
first he forgave his sins. But the teachers didn’t think he could do that.
3. Did the teachers’ lack of
faith keep Jesus from healing the man?
a. NO! He healed
the man, right before their unbelieving eyes.
Deeper:
The man healed is a minor character in
this story. He never shows any sign of faith in Jesus nor asks to be healed. In
fact, he never speaks. The only time we see him do anything, is when he stands
up and carries his mat away.
The men who carried him are the
ones with faith in this story. They
carried the body. When the doors and windows of opportunity were closed,
they didn’t give up. They dug through the roof and lowered him to Jesus.
Their faith moved them into action.
Their faith was not for their own well-being but for their friend. Have you
ever been unable to move, but a friends’ faith, not your own, got you going?
Who is that for you? Who is the person who has faith in you? Who carries you
when you can’t stand on your own? Who digs through roofs when the doors and
windows of opportunity are all shut? Who watches from the roof when your
miracle happens? When I went to answer these questions, I thought of my mother.
And I hoped that one day, my kids would answer these questions with “my
mother.” I hope I am a source of faith in the midst of the doubt.
But I also know my parents are not
the only ones who have carried me. Many, many times it was my church family. A
small group sent me notes of encouragement when I was in college and serving my
first church. The old ladies brought food when my children were born. The
friends my own age helped me plan outreach events I couldn’t do on my own.
In the church, I have found a community that has faith for me in the midst of
depression, doubt, and fear.
There is one more group who takes
center stage in this story, though. It’s the haters…the doubters. The religious
teachers tell Jesus, “You can’t do that.” After the lame man’s friends did so
much work, these teachers say what Jesus did is impossible. Jesus doesn’t have
the authority to forgive sins.
And we all know people like this
too, don’t we? People who only see impossibility, never potential. They steal
the faith right out of us. But here’s the cool thing about Jesus. The healing
of this man did not take place because of the lame man’s faith. It didn’t take
place because of the friends who got him there. Jesus healed this man because
of the doubt of these teachers.
Often we treat Jesus’ power to
perform miracles as solely an effect of the faith present. We think that his
power is only as strong as our faith. And as important as it is for us to carry
each other, there may be times when we feel surrounded by Rabbis, who say Jesus
can’t do it. A miracle can’t happen. All of your cheering section, is stuck
on the roof, while the vultures circle around you. But Jesus is there. And no one can
weaken Jesus’ power. Jesus has a way of showing them up.
Personal Reflection:
Who has faith for you when you can’t move? Who do you have faith
for to help them move forward? Do you think God is limited by our faith?
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