Men brought a paralyzed man on his bed to the house where Jesus was. They sought to bring him to Jesus for healing. They could not find a way into the house due to the large crowd. They went onto the housetop, peeled the tiling from the roof, and lowered the man down with his bed into the midst of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He told the man his sins were forgiven. The man immediately rose up, took his bed, and departed to his own house glorifying God. Luke 5:18-25 (paraphrased/condensed)
In looking through this passage, I am intrigued by what is left untold in the story. There are many missing details. Let me point out a few in the form of questions. Who owned the house, and how did they feel about having their roof torn off? Who was responsible for fixing it? Were the men friends of the paralytic or merely men from the community exhausted of his daily begging? These questions may be intriguing, but the details presented reveal the message Jesus intended.
Jesus recognized the faith of the men doing the roof work, not the faith of the paralyzed man himself. Somehow, they knew the value of placing this man in touch with the Healer Himself. They are to be applauded for acting on their faith. Maybe they had already experienced a personal encounter with Jesus. Maybe they had received His touch and had come to know the healing, forgiveness, and power His love can bring.
Friend, your measure of faith, no matter how small you think it is, might make all the difference in the world to someone in need. Who needs your attention today? Who needs a word of encouragement or act of kindness? Whose son, daughter, marriage, or career will your prayer of faith and action affect today? Be bold. Be a roofer. Tear away the hindrances and get help for the ones you know who need Jesus’ touch.
Blessings,
