Jesus saw how much faith they had and said to the sick man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
(Luke 5:20 ERV)
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. Today we look at the healing of a paralyzed man carried by his friends.
One day Jesus was teaching inside of a house. People had come from every town in Galilee, Judea and from Jerusalem to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were inside the home as well. Normally, the size of the crowd would not be an issue, but since Jesus was inside of a home, the crowd obviously did not fit. The home was busting at the seams. At the same time the Bible mentions a paralyzed man who wanted to get into the presence of Jesus. He heard about the miracle worker and he was hoping for a chance at his breakthrough. The problem with the paralyzed man was, obviously, that he was paralyzed and could therefore not get to Jesus. The good news is that he had friends.
Four of his friends committed to get him into the presence of Jesus. They heard where Jesus was and carried him there. When they arrived at the house, the problem was getting their friend into Jesus’ presence. There was no way in. The crowd was too big and no one was seemingly willing to open a path for a paralyzed man and his friends. So, what would they do? Would they pack up and go home? Would they tell their friend, “Sorry buddy, we tried.” Would they wait ‘til the crowd dissipated? NO! These guys were relentless.
The men carried their friend up to the top of the house. They then tore a hole in the roof. Yes, an actual hole! While Jesus was teaching inside the home, the roof began to open up, as these men tore a hole big enough to let their friend down through. Once the hole was big enough, they lowered their buddy into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Wow! Can you picture the scene? Our text says that Jesus saw what these guys did and He called it “faith”. Seeing their faith, Jesus forgave the man’s sins on the spot. This is exactly what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were waiting for. They were not there to hear Jesus, because they wanted to learn. They were there to hear Jesus, because they wanted to accuse Him. The religious sect immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to forgive sins.
Jesus then said, “The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ There’s no proof that it really happened. But what if I say to the man, ‘Stand up and walk’? Then you will be able to see that I really have this power.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home!” The man immediately stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and walked home, praising God. The crowd erupted with praise! They were filled with great respect for God’s power. They said, “Today we saw amazing things!”
So what does this mean to you today? There is enough in this story to teach on it for days, but I will restrain myself and simply give you a few thoughts.
1. Choose your friends wisely.
a) The paralyzed man who was carried into the presence of Jesus received his breakthrough because his friends refused to take “No” for an answer. They were committed to seeing him healed.
b) As a believer, you should surround yourself with people of like-precious-faith.
c) Sometimes you need friends who will pray with you, believe God with you, and carry you (literally, if need be), during tough times.
2. Don’t allow small obstacles to keep you from your breakthrough.
a) There will always be things that get in the way of your intimate fellowship with God, but be determined to get into the presence of God, no matter what.
b) If your heart is open to take “No” for an answer, then “No” will be your answer.
c) Faith requires believing through
3. Have visible faith.
a) The text says that Jesus “saw their faith”. The paralyzed man and his friends had faith that could be seen. Do you?
b) We live in a society of skeptics. Many people in this world think our faith is nothing more than the mystical optimism of modern-day people, who are holding on to ancient stories. Why? Because many believers are afraid to put their faith on display. They hide their faith under the guise of it being “personal”. Your faith should be personal, but it should also be visible!
c) Jesus saw their faith and He saw it in their actions. Faith is an action word. If you truly live what you say you believe, people will be able to SEE it!
* Closing question: Can the world SEE Jesus in you? If not, it’s time to make some changes!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. This year I am determined to walk in Your best for my life. To do so I know I need to surround myself with people of like-precious-faith. I declare that I do. Together we can and will accomplish much more than we ever could apart. One can chase 1,000, but two can put 10,000 to flight! I walk by faith with my friends and they with me. Our faith is on display for all the world to see. We are not ashamed of Jesus or His Gospel. We boldly declare, JESUS IS LORD! And, as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
