You know what really gets me choked up about this story, it is the faith of the men carrying the injured man. It is the loving kindness and caring hearts of these men to do such a bold act of faith. I can only imagine how difficult it was to get a paralytic man on top of a roof. The full body weight of this man would rely on these other men.
I wonder what the conversation was like before going to Jesus. I wonder if it was the man asking his friends to take him to Jesus, or was it the other way around. I have to imagine that it was these men convincing the paralytic man to let them take him. The helpless feeling of these friends that they once felt had dissipated. Jesus! God is here among us! Now there is something they could do! Jesus could heal their friend!!
Have you ever felt helpless as you watch your friend, loved one, family, child, coworker suffer? Do you believe that Jesus can help? Well I sure do! The Lord has helped me, and my friends were the ones who asked God to heal me! Their faith, their persistent prayers, their heart, led me to the throne of grace and healing.
In Luke, Chapter seven, a centurion heard about Jesus. His beloved servant was sick, and the centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant. Again, we see the faith of one man for another. In Matthew, Chapter nine, Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. The father was the one kneeling before Jesus begging for Him to heal her.
In Matthew, Chapter 15, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus, for her daughter was demon possessed. Jesus healed her!
Matthew, Chapter 17, a man comes to Jesus because his son is demon possessed. The disciples couldn't heal him because of their lack of faith. Jesus heals the son, and tells his disciples that if they have faith as small as a mustard seed, they can move mountains!
Your faith on behalf of another.... it does matter. So believe for healing today! Jesus can and wants to heal.
James 5:14-15 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”