Lk.5:17 – 20 – And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
This miracle stands out from many of the others in the ministry of Jesus because of the involvement of this paralyzed man’s friends. This disabled man was unable to help himself. He couldn’t walk and the crowds would not allow him to get to Jesus so his situation seemed quite hopeless. I wonder how many people we know who have circumstances that have brought a form of paralysis into their lives? It could be a man who has lost his job, a teenager whose parents are troubled and absent, or someone who is physically disabled that just can’t seem to help themselves. That’s when friends step in. Maybe its the faith of friends that can receive a life changing miracle. Here is how the ANCIENT CHRISTIAN COMMENTARY describes the faith of friends.
“When the paralytic’s friends carry him to the roof, remove the roof and let him down before Jesus, it shows their seriousness and persistence and affirms that every sick person and every sinner needs intercessors before the Lord (AMBROSE) as did this paralytic whose friends place him in the presence of Jesus.
Jesus the Physician will show that he is present in his creation to heal spiritually through forgiveness and physically by healing the paralytic.”
Who knows, maybe this is how this story happened. Maybe it was the desperate cries of the paralyzed man that caused the friends to take action and even awakened their faith. Maybe you are in distress, if so, call out for help. Ask someone to pray for you. Ask someone to bring you to the feet of Jesus. Regardless who initiated the decision, the cry of the desperate or the compassion of friends, the only important thing is that the sick man was brought to Jesus, that’s where healing and recovery happens.
