Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Luke 5
Read Luke 5 in your Bible. Or you can also read it here.
I love the story found in Luke 5:17-26. Long story short, a paralyzed man and his friends came to see Jesus one day. But the place was so crowded they couldn’t get in. The man’s friends “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.” (v. 19) And Jesus healed the paralyzed man that day.
“There are two things I want to point out in this story. First of all, this story is just one of numerous examples of how Jesus helped others. Jesus didn’t tell the paralyzed man that He was too busy to help him that day. He didn’t tell him that He was in the middle of teaching. He didn’t tell him to come back another day. Jesus always made those around Him a priority. Jesus was selfless and loving, always. When He walked the earth, Jesus looked out for others. He helped anyone He could, He healed all those who were sick, and He spread love everywhere He went. Jesus should be our role model and who we try to be more like in our earthly walk.
I also want to point out the friends of the paralyzed man. The place was too crowded for them to bring the man through the door. So they climbed on top of the roof to lower the man down! This just blows me away. How many people do you know who would do that? Most people today would just say something like, “Sorry, man, we can’t get in. We tried. Today is not your day. Maybe some other time.” But these men decided to do whatever it would take to help their friend and they didn’t allow anything to stop them.
This story really makes me reflect on my own behaviors. Would I be that tenacious to help a friend in need? Would I do whatever it took? I hope that we all would. Imagine how beautiful the world would be if we all remembered that we were working for the kingdom of God, if we all served the Lord with our whole heart, if we all were kind to those around us, and if we all spread the love of Jesus. I think we would see miracles take place.”1
If you are also participating in the Gratitude Challenge, today is day 76 of 100. Keep going! You’re doing great!
© Bridget A. Thomas. 1Excerpt from Giving God Your Whole Heart by Bridget A. Thomas.
Bridget A. Thomas 
Amen, amen and amen 🙏🏽
I too pray I would have the tenacity of these men to get to Jesus. Our Savior was ALWAYS available to people, especially sinners. Oh what a Savior❤️🙏🏽✝️
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Beautifully said, Renee! And I am so thankful He is always there for us! 🙌
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Jesus always made those around him a priority- 🙌🏽 yes, His love was reflected in the way he always gave his time and attention to those around him.
And do we show the same tenacity as the friend of the paralysed man – this made me think of what I had written about us being devoted to doing good. Those friends reflected that.
Thank you so much Bridget. Blessings my friend 🤗🌺
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Very true! The friends in this story are surely walking out the fruit of the spirit of goodness. And I am so thankful for Jesus and the way He always loved those around Him. May we learn to do the same. Blessings to you, dear friend! ♥️
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This reminds me of Matthew 5:41-42 where Jesus says, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” In verse 46 He says, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” I have to admit that I am not good at this, but we must examine our hearts towards others.
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I don’t consider myself to be a “people person.” So that is a difficult area for me too. Keeping to myself feels a lot easier than reaching out. But God did create us for community. So I pray we can find out people and show them the love of Jesus.
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I was just reflecting the other day, thinking about how important it is for Christians not to be so caught up in our routines that we can’t deviate in order to serve others and show the love of God. We must be willing to help others, even when unexpected situations arise that may be inconvenient.
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Dawn, you make a good point about being stuck in our routines. I like having a routine, but they can be a problem when we need to change our path. And many times these situations where we might be to help someone will be unexpected. I tend to freeze under pressure, so clinging tightly to the Holy Spirit is vital. He will show us what we need to do. Thank you for sharing your insight! ♥️
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