PJP2 PROLOG 160223 PROLOG Focus Luke 5:18-20....

Exodus 15:2 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."The Lord Is my Strength And my Song, And He Has Become my Salvation; This Is my God, And I Will Praise Him"....

PJP2 PROLOG POST 160223 Luke 5:18-20 (NIV/emphasis added/jaj)...."Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him Before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do This Because of the crowd, they went up on the roof And Lowered him on his mat Through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, Right In Front of Jesus.  When Jesus Saw their Faith, He Said, 'Friend, your sins Are Forgiven.'”....

As a Medic, THIS Is one of my Favorite Healing Stories of our Lord's Healing efforts.  First, as far as I can tell, this is the first and only recorded '4-man carry' in The Scriptures (Mark 2:4 shares a similar account of this event).  I also am intrigued by their problem solving skills - as the Passage Of the Word Select (POWS) describes the 'litter team's' first 'entry point' is blocked by the crowd.  Any Medic worth their salt is NOT going to be denied getting their 'patient' to the Healthcare Provider.  Our four intrepid Medics do a 'rapid process improvement event' determine that the Optimal Way to get their patient (also presumed to be a dear friend) to the Great Physician - if you can't go around or through, leaves with over or under the blockage.  The 'litter team' elects the over route.

Consider their determination - here they are presumably at a stranger's home, climbing up on this roof, and so focused are they on getting their 'brother' in front of our Lord Jesus, they start taking apart the roof to make an opening big enough to lower their patient in front of Jesus.  That is pretty impressive.

I often wonder what was going through the crowd, or the disciples, or the home-owner's thoughts as first dust and light debris began to float down from over Jesus' and their noggins.  Then, as the hole grew bigger, you have to think perhaps Jesus' stopped His Teaching/Preaching to Watch (with everyone else) the spectacle occurring just above them all.

Then, as the audacious foursome completed their task, there is their patient, their friend, lying right smack-dab in front of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder if the Pharisees and Teachers of The Law expected Jesus to either condemn the man (and the foursome) for destruction of property, or being rude for interrupting His Teaching.  I mean, isn't that what I've done when someone breaks into one of my amazing discourses on whatever topic?

Thus we have to ask the age old question - What Did Jesus Do?

He Forgave.  He Says to the man who has just been lowered through the roof to the floor by his Four Compadres who clearly must care for him AND who Believed our Lord Jesus Could Help him, "Friend, your sins Are Forgiven."  Now, I have to think that his Four Buddies, as well as the whole room who've just witness this heroic life-saving activity, they must have all been thinking, 'Huh?  We brought him to You, Lord, to Heal him.  What's up with 'just' Forgiving him?'

Oh my Dear Friends, we have so very Much to Learn about our Lord Jesus.

He is WAY AHEAD of them all.

As Paul Harvey would say, "And Now for the Rest of The Story"....In Luke 5:21-25 we see in these POWS those exact thoughts - Our Lord Jesus answers  those questions with this - Luke 5:23-25 (NIV/emphasis added/jaj)...."Which is Easier: to say, ‘Your sins Are Forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up And Walk’?  BUT I Want you To Know That The Son of Man Has Authority on earth To Forgive sins.”  So He Said to the paralyzed man, 'I Tell you, Get Up, Take your mat And Go home.'  Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home Praising God."....

So, The Point I Hear The Holy Spirit Encouraging me with today is Three Fold - (1) Do Not Let The Circumstances of the hill in front of you Discourage you - In Him, our Lord Jesus There Is His Way; (2) Be Open to Him, even if it means going through the roof; (3) Our Lord Jesus Has The Authority and Power to DO Whatever Needs Be Done for us....

My Prayer for us today would simply be - Lord Jesus, Empower us with The Faith we see in both the '4-man litter team' and the friend on the mat.  Holy Spirit, Help us to Look Up, when all some may see is a Blocked Way.  Father God, Thank You for Your Stories/Parables of Hope, Trust, Faith, Forgiveness and Love.  Lord Jesus, May we Ever Reflect Your Light and Love to All.  In Your Holy and Precious Name we Pray....Amen/Amen...jaj