Desperation, faith and determination!
Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Mark 2:3-5 NKJV
Here is an amazing story of the Lord’s healing power.
There is a greater miracle than all of these that no one can ever explain.
This one thing can only come from God Himself!
Jesus had come to preach the Kingdom of God. Going and telling people to repent of their sins and believe the Gospels!
It is the same message today.
As Jesus’ ministry starts, He has compassion on all those that need to be healed. He became famous for it.
People from all corners of the town would come to find this man from Nazareth.
There are 2 types of people that search for Jesus.
The curious and the desperate. What’s amazing is that He will always reveal Himself to both.
The ones that are curious come to see what all of the talk is about.
There is just enough of something there that makes them interested.
Maybe a word or a story.
“I have to see this for myself”.
Maybe they encountered or met someone that has been with Jesus already.
There was just enough curiosity to get their attention.
Then there are the desperate.
These are the ones that have no other place to go. They heard of a Man that heals.
When there is nowhere else to go they turn to Jesus.
Are you curious or are you desperate?
Desperation comes when we are facing defeat. When the weight of the world is crashing down. When we see the doings of our lives. When our physical bodies start to shut down and there is no longer a cure. The realization that the sins we have committed against a Holy God actually have consequences.
The curious are not fully committed. They stand back to see first. They are interested but not willing to commit.
There’s uncertainty. Ultimately the curious will avoid the Cross when they get an answer they don’t want to hear.
They turn away from Jesus when He exposes the very thing in us that needs to be healed, Sin.
The curious will continue to be curious until they find something or someone else that either agrees or justifies their sins.
Jesus returns to Capernaum.
The people find out. The curious and desperate look for Him.
The crowds at this house are overwhelming. Coming to the doors. Stuffing themselves in.
Inside and outside. There was no way to fit anyone else in there.
Both the desperate and the curious waiting to hear Jesus preach the Kingdom of Heaven. Surely speaking to repent and believe the Gospels.
Now a paralytic man and his four friends hear about the healing power that this man from Nazareth offers.
Is this curiosity or desperation?
These four men carry their friend on a make shift stretcher or bed. Ropes on each end!
The barriers they had come up to to get this man to where he needed to be, in the presence of the Savior!
The breaking through the roof to be let down to be in the Face to face with this Holy Man that heals!
Bringing people to Jesus is not easy.
It will be one of the hardest things we are called to do.
It’s difficult. There’s distraction. There is the demand in mind, body and soul.
There is frustration!
These four men wanted their friend to have what they had, the ability to walk.
We should have this very same mindset. We so desperately want people to know that there is a man from Nazareth that heals the body. But most importantly He heals the souls of men!
We want them to experience the mercy Jesus shows out of love and compassion. We want their chains of bondage to be broken off to be set free!
We want them to enter into an Eternity of rest in the Bosom of the Father!
These men had desperation for their friend! There was going to be nothing that was going to stop them. No barriers. No crowds. No embarrassment, shame, guilt, nothing was going to get in their way!
Their paralyzed friend needed to be healed with a Word and a touch from the Hand that can do it, and is willing!
They were desperate men in a desperate time for a desperate soul!
Sometimes the barriers are hard for us to handle. Maybe it’s society that pushes back. It’s definitely a hurt and hardened heart. It’s a lack of trust. There are so many reasons we can find to stop showing people the Way.
It’s easy to quit bringing people to Christ. We give up on them!
We may not give up on Jesus but the ones that desperately need Him.
But never underestimate the joy to bring those that need Jesus!
Bring them to the Cross. Pray for them. Carry them in faith. Bridge the gap for them. Point them, show them.
Live your life as if Christ is walking next to you, because He is!
There was determination in these men.
It takes a persistent mind set that is full of faith to bring people to the Lord. So that when the world pushes against us the faith we have pushes back to fight for one more soul!
Do not lose your desperation!
The crowds would not allow this paralyzed in.
How desperate are you?
How desperate are you to get to Him . What are you willing to sacrifice?
Are those around you willing to go with you?
We have seen this man Jesus of Nazareth heal! He can heal the most diseased, crippling, crooked body. He can restore the body to total and complete health. Making it strong, whole and complete as if it had never been sick.
Now we learn about something that is far better than physical healings.
The repair and healing of our Spirits through the forgiveness of sins.
This is the Greatest of all Miracles!
The forgiveness of sins!
There are many that are suffering from something that is Spiritually paralyzing them.
God is faithful. That’s how He is, and that’s how He will always be.
He sacrifices Himself for sinners, and calls on the Father to forgive even those whose greed, pride, selfish ambition and jealousy led them to torture and murder Him!
We all have greed, pride, selfishness and jealousy, and even worse things.
Then what is the purpose of Christ?
So we can have God forgive us. So we avoid the Wrath of the Father by the pouring of His Son’s precious Blood that cleanses and purifies!
He is the Lover and Redeemer of his creation. His first priority for us is not the physical healing but the healing from the curse, death and separation because of sin.
Jesus is truly the lover of our souls!
We pray for healing, but we must trust everything to the One who cares for us!
Never stop believing that He will do what is right and good, not just good but perfect in accordance to His will for us. Live by faith!
How?
By resting in His hands. Being shielded by His tender love, grace and mercy!
Because He is good.
The paralytic got so much more than he expected.
He was made whole! Body and soul!
Healed! Completely healed as there was never any physical or Spiritual sickness in his body, ever!
His friends had a powerful testimony to see how Jesus healed their friend.
It was the desperation, faith and determination to bring him to the foot of Jesus that made their friend well.
They didn’t give up on him.
There is someone that needs the Lord right now.
Maybe you have been speaking to them about this man of Nazareth.
Be desperate for them!
Never underestimate the joy to bring those that need Jesus.
Bring them to the Cross. Pray for them. Carry them in faith. Bridge the gap for them. Point them, show them.
I wonder how many more these four would bring to the foot of Jesus?
Desperation, faith and determination!
Never lose sight of these, someone’s healing may be waiting for you!
Pastor Ed
