WHATEVER IT TAKES

I have always liked the story from the gospels of the tenacity of the four men who brought their paralyzed friend into the presence of Jesus to be healed. The text says, “And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.” Don’t you love these guys?

The previous verses tell us that Jesus was teaching the word to the crowd and it was a packed house and no one could move around. So, these four went up on the roof and got right over the spot where Jesus was down below. They pulled the roof off, took their paralytic friend up on the roof and lowered him down right in front of Jesus. Jesus was truly impressed with their love and cleverness… and “seeing their faith.”

He forgave the paralytic man of his sins and then healed him of his malady and said, “Take up your bed and go home.” I have tried to put myself into the story as one of the four men or the paralytic… all of them are amazing. Hey, whatever it takes.

“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” Jesus