First, Jesus saw four men who really cared about their friend. Faith means more than just expressing concern or saying I will pray for you. Faith shows itself as real by actually helping people in need, by a willingness to roll up its sleeves and getting it’s hands dirty. Jesus saw the faith of these four men made visible by their caring actions – does he see that when he looks at us?
Secondly, Jesus saw four men who were not hemmed in by circumstances. Imagine their disappointment when they arrived at the house and found that there was no way to carry their friend to Jesus. They could have just bailed out and headed home. But they did not. They actually believed that Jesus had the power to heal their friend and there were committed to bringing the two of them together no matter what the circumstances. Does Jesus see this kind of boldness when he looks at us?
Thirdly, Jesus saw four men who were passionate about sharing Christ. They were so determined about getting their friend to Jesus that they were willing to move way out of their comfort zone to make it happen. They were willing to look foolish, so strong was their trust in Jesus, so great their love for their friend. Dos Jesus see this kind of passion when he looks at us?
Ken Jackson
Great insight into this, Ken. The healing and deliverance that Jesus did has astounded me for many years. Who he chose to touch, why he did it, when, in what manner and what level of effort did it require from the recipient. We see examples like this where the friends exampled faith, desperation and a bit of courage. Then we see a man born blind just so that Jesus can heal him w/ dirt turned to mud by spit. I must admit, I don't understand Jesus' methods. Why did he chose to heal people 1 at a time but when he miraculously produced fish/bread/wine he blessed 100s or 1000s at once.
ReplyDeleteMy next question has to do with exactly what you said... we never heard from these guys again in the Bible. My conclusion is that this story was all that God meant to have included in the Bible. For what purpose? Was it to learn the things you pointed out? Was it just to show another example of God's power through Jesus? I have no idea.
However, the only thing I can say is that the healing power of God, the grace of God and His love for each of us are much greater than I truly understand.
David - about Jesus' varied healing methods:
ReplyDeleteI once heard an intriguing insight about this that's always made sense to me. Could the reason Jesus heals this person through prayer, this person by touch, this person with a word, that one with mud and spit, another from long-distance... be so that it would ensure that we would not miss the point that it is through JESUS that we are healed, and not through some specific healing formula. If that were the case, you know everybody would be after the formula and be quick to forgo on the deeper, messier, relational process of finding true wholeness in relationship to our Healer.
Reuben
Reuben, great thoughts! Thx.
ReplyDeleteI think that is one very valid option, Reuben. Thanks for sharing that. Sorry I didn't see this response earlier. I saw it on my phone (cough, during church Sunday, cough) but it wasn't a good time to be typing back. LOL
ReplyDeleteI've never understood the part about new wine skins and old cloths. Can someone explain how this connects to the point Jesus' is making? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBack in the first century, wine was not bottled, it was stored in goatskin that was sewn together to form, for lack of a better word, a bag that would hold wine. When new wine was put into a new bag, it would expand with age and fermenting, thus stretching and expanding the bag. However, if you put new wine into an old wineskin (think bag) that had already been stretched out, the now taut skin of the bag would break.
ReplyDeleteWhat does this have to do with the point that Jesus is making? There are differing ideas as to exactly what Jesus meant by this, but I have always thought that he was saying that the Jewish religious system (and perhaps more specifically, the Pharisees) had become like old wineskins - tight and rigid. Jesus, through his life and teaching, was bringing something new that could not be confined within the old forms of Jewish religious thought. Their hearts - and ours - need to be pliable and soft to respond to the person and teachings of Jesus. Hope this helps...