SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:1-12
OBSERVATION:
The things that strike me in this passage are:
— that the men had the audacity to dig through someones roof to get to Jesus
— that Jesus responds to the faith of the friends, not the faith of the paralyzed man
— that Jesus forgives the man, and sees the healing as secondary
— does Jesus imply that it is easier to heal the man or to forgive him?
Were the friends disappointed at first when Jesus only forgave their friend, was that what they came for?
APPLICATION:
Am I looking for the wrong answers to prayer, am I trying to meet my lesser needs while ignoring my deeper needs?
How bold am I when bringing people to Jesus? Am I as aggressive in praying for the sick, the lost, willing to DIG through whatever barriers to bring them to You?
This passage suggests that the Lord will act for others in response to my bold faith and prayer (see 2 Corinthians 1:10-11). Maybe I do not see the results to my prayers because I am not as persistent and aggressive on their behalf.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for not caring enough about those who are lost, struggling, weak, on a pathway to misery. Help me not to just ove my family and my friends, but to eagerly care about strangers and even enemies, to passionately and persistently bring them to You in prayer. Amen.