Tearing it Up!

Sometimes people feel that they are unable or disqualified to get right with God.  They feel paralyzed by their inability to overcome the obstacles that seem to separate them from God. 

The Gospel story of the healing of the paralytic epitomizes how obstacles can stand in the way of needy people getting to Jesus.  A paralytic man had his friends bring him on a stretcher to Jesus for healing. However, the house was so crowded with people listening to Jesus that they could not get through the door. (We would like to have that kind of attendance at our churches!) This did not deter the man’s friends from climbing on the roof and removing the tiles so they could lower the stretcher down in front of Jesus.  

Jesus was so impressed with the persistence and faith of the paralytic man’s friends that He offered this man forgiveness for his sins. To prove He had the power to forgive sin, he went on to heal the man’s paralysis. It was a joyful scene as the man stood up, forgiven and healed, to go home praising God!

The paralyzed man had been unable to get to Jesus on his own.  Sometimes, people today have genuine obstacles that hinder them from getting to Jesus.  These obstacles can be emotional wounds, fears or questions, or any number of other obstacles.  Inviting people to Jesus sometimes means discovering what obstacles are keeping them away.  Once we discover what the obstacles are, we can help remove them, even if it takes a group effort.

Take away: What obstacles can you remove that are hindering the faith of a friend?