Luke 5:17-21: a reflection

17On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. 18Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. 19Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

When a paralyzed man cannot be brought to Jesus through the crowded door, his friends refuse to give up. They carry him up onto the roof, remove the tiles, and lower him down on his mat into the middle of the room, right in front of Jesus. It is a remarkable act of determined faith, and Luke notes that Jesus responded to it: seeing their faith, he said to the man, your sins are forgiven. The friends' persistent effort to get their friend to Jesus was itself a faith that Jesus saw and honored.

Notice whose faith is mentioned: not only the paralyzed man's, but his friends'. Seeing their faith, Jesus acted. These friends believed Jesus could help, and their faith was not passive; it carried a man up a roof and tore through the tiles, refusing to let obstacles stop them from bringing him to Jesus. Their determined, active faith brought their friend into Jesus' presence, and Jesus honored it.

That commends the ministry of bringing others to Jesus. We can carry those we love to Christ, by our faith, our prayers, our determined effort, refusing to let obstacles stop us. The paralyzed man might never have reached Jesus without friends who would not give up. Perhaps there are people in your life who need to be brought to Jesus, who cannot get there on their own, and your persistent, determined faith could be the thing that brings them. Do not underestimate the faith that carries another to Christ. Be like these friends: refuse to let obstacles stop you, and bring the ones you love to Jesus, trusting that he sees and honors such faith.

Lord Jesus, when the paralyzed man could not reach you through the crowd, his friends carried him up the roof and lowered him down before you, and seeing their faith, you acted. Give me that kind of determined faith for others. Show me the people in my life who need to be brought to you, who cannot get there on their own, and make my faith active, carrying them to you through prayer and persistent effort, refusing to let obstacles stop me. Thank you that you see and honor the faith that brings another to you. Make me a friend who will not give up, who carries the ones I love to you, trusting that you receive them.