Luke 5:12-26

Be Still: Lord, I want to hear you speak to me today. I wait before you needy but expectant. Amen

Read: Luke 5:12-26

And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.... And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralysed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. (v13, v18)

Encounter: Two more dramatic healings. In the first Jesus touches a leprous man. To the observers this was reckless and would make Jesus ceremonially unclean and a social outcast. But it was his way of confirming that, yes, he did want to heal him and that he wanted to make this personal, because he cared deeply for him. 

Let’s focus, in the second event, on the men who brought their paralysed friend to Jesus. They went out of their way to seek healing for him. When confronted with crowds, with no way to get through, they outrageously improvised by taking him onto the roof (how do you carry someone on a stretcher up steps?) by breaking through the roof and lowering him down with ropes (where did they come from?). 

Most of us would have given up. What would people think? Would Jesus heal him after being showered with plaster and dirt? How would the owner of the house react? They could hardly get away without being noticed, and maybe severely criticised. 

How far would we go to help someone in trouble? How ‘careless’ would we be in respect of our own reputations? How much do we really care for friends or needy people, who need Jesus? The paralysed man owed his life to his friends. Without them he had no hope. And he received spiritual renewal (forgiveness of sins), which, ultimately was more significant than his physical healing.

Apply:  Both incidents underline the value of showing our love for others in practical ways. Let’s think of those we know, who have real needs or haven’t yet met Jesus. How can we show our care by what we do for them, not just by what we say? This could be costly or demand some of our precious time, but it could lead to someone finding life eternal.

Devote: Lord, help me show your love in practical ways to those I have contact with who need help or who don’t know you.