It’s a new year… and I’ve been missing this. The break was nice but it is time to read more..
Today’s Scripture:
Genesis 12; Genesis 13; Genesis 14; Luke 5
My verse:
Luke 5:18-20
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
Observation:
There are several players in this story. Jesus, the paralyzed man, and his friends. The friends are faithful to the paralyzed man, going to great lengths to get him to Jesus. What is curious to me is that Jesus, based on the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends, offers him forgiveness. What is even more curious to me is that he didn’t ask for it. He didn’t even ask for healing. He was simply lowered down to Jesus.
Application:
This tells me that you need to choose your friends wisely! Jesus forgave on the strength of the faith of the man’s friends. Now I know that we are each responsible for our own salvation, but this passage makes me think that the people we’re surrounded with are important in that salvation, too. Maybe we can’t do it without them….
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for giving me faithful friends. Let me be a friend like this to others, too. Amen.
