Down From the Roof

When we pray for someone, do we really want what we pray for them? The example of these friends of this lame man are willing to do anything to get him to Jesus and get to his healing. Here are the verses in Luke 5: ¹⁷ One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. ¹⁸ And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. ¹⁹ But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. ²⁰ And seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”The religious people were not into what this man needed and he needed healing. He needed Jesus and his sins forgiven, and he needed Jesus and his body healed.

This man was let down from the roof overhead and put in the room next to Jesus, and Jesus responded to his faith and his friend's faith, and the healing happened to the disdain of the religious leaders who were hoping to "catch" Jesus. Jesus did not back up, but in reality replied with the following words of truth. Luke 5: ²¹ The scribes and the Pharisees began thinking of the implications, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?” ²² But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, responded and said to them, “Why are you thinking this way in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

Now we see the end result of them letting this man down to Jesus. Luke 5: ²⁴ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.” ²⁵ And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. ²⁶ And they were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God. They were also filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today!” This astonishment would also happen today if this kind of healing took place in our midst, and the lost would come to Jesus and the saved would glorify God. Praise God for His power to heal our souls and heal our bodies, because both are miracles that deserve giving God the glory.

Be amazed and trust God that His healing is complete and real, and ready for His children. BE AMAZED AT WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE AND THE LORD WILL DO FOR HIS CHILDREN.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren