Prepare Future Celebrations

Sometimes we miss the great emotions and awe in some of the stories we read about Jesus.

Many of us are familiar with the story where Jesus was teaching in a house and the crowd spilled over out into the streets. Mark chapter .

Four friends were carrying their friend on a mat and could not get in that house. So they took the outside stairs to the roof and began divine demolition work!   They likely had to remove tiles and then burrow through the roof to open a hole.

I imagine it filled the house with dust as they dug.  Jesus may have had a little pile of dust on His head as He preached. This was not in the bulletin or order of worship for that day!

Suddenly, they lowered this helpless guy right in front of Jesus!  Kind of hard to ignore.

Jesus looked up and saw the faith of the four friends and said to the man on the mat, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  He knew this man needed forgiveness for sin more than healing.

Then Jesus perceived thoughts of the critics who questioned His authority.  To demonstrate His authority, He spoke words of healing and then man got up in front of everyone and walked away.

They said everyone was amazed and praised God.  Mild understatement.

Try to picture the rooftop celebration. I think the four friends were high fiving and hollering more that Saint’s fans did when Tracy Porter returned an interception for a TD in the Super Bowl!

It’s not hard to imagine the aftermath.  I can picture them running down the stairs and embracing their friend…shouting...crying for joy…loving God.

Do you think this was the last person they ever tried to bring to Jesus?  Not likely. 

So what’s your excuse? 

Don’t want to “offend” a friend by telling them about Jesus?  

Ignore your fears and focus on the celebration some day when you see them again in heaven and rejoice at God’s goodness and grace.  

You too will be shouting…crying for joy…loving God.