Make A Hole
Yesterday was a really wonderful day! Worship was so uplifting and encouraging, we hated to leave to go home. We visited in the auditorium and then in the foyer and even in the parking lot. It was wonderful! I always enjoy hearing my husband preach God's Word, but both lessons yesterday were exceptional, both made me think and both stimulated my mind and challenged my faith.
Last night he preached from Mark 2--the story of the paralytic. You remember the story--Jesus had returned to Cana after preaching all over Galilee. He has returned to huge crowds, gathering to hear His words and perhaps once again become recipients of healing at His hand. The Messiah has drawn the masses to a house. The text says so many had gathered that there was no room left, even outside the door. Can you picture this crowd? All of them, trying to be quiet, not wanting to miss a word, and yet elbowing and squirming and wiggling just to get closer to the Savior? There is no room, no room for a Pharisee, no room for a blind man, no room for another apostle and certainly no room for a paralytic and his four friends. While an apostle may have been able to wiggle and squirm to the front, and perhaps a play on sympathy could have gotten a blind man in closer proximity, and maybe a Pharisee could have used his power to get in better position, there was no way four men carrying another were ever going to make it through to the Healer. The situation seems hopeless for the paralytic and his kind stretcher bearers.
They could have given up, weary with the burden of carryng their friend, they could have returned home and ate and rested and discuss the prospect of another day. They could have moved to the edge of the crowd, sat beneath the shade of a tree and waited, waited for the crowd to disperse, knowing Jesus would have to leave sometime. They could have done any number of things, but they didn't. They were desperate for healing, desperate for the touch of the Savior, desperate for the restoration of their friend. And so, they carried their friend up to the roof, they made a hole and lowered their friend down to Jesus --down to healing and salvation.
I know that there are some of us who are sick. Sin has a hold on us and we are desperate to escape. I know there are some of us who are paralyzed by pain and fear and lack of knowledge and as we stand unmoving, right where we have always stood, we long to move forward. I know there are some of us who have been swallowed up by the crowd. We have given into peer pressure and have come to believe that work, play, prestige, money and fame are more important than being with God and His people, more pressing than walking in His path and we have become busy, so busy that our view of the Savior is obscured by an overcrowded life, a life in which there is no time, no energy, no room for Him.
I also know that when we reach the point when we are ready to be healed, ready to move forward, ready to be God's, then nothing will stop us----we will do whatever it takes to get us to Jesus. We will push aside the cares of the world, we will throw off the cloak of cowardice and flee from the sinful darts Satan continues to hurl at us. We will wiggle and squirm and edge our way through the crowd, holding our breath, crawling on our hands and knees, or inch along on our stomach if need be. If we must, we will even call on our faithful friends to carry us.We will do anything to get to Jesus for weknow that only in His presence is there healing and wholeness and salvation. We can have all of this. Our faith can lead us to Him. All we have to do is make a hole!!!!
Peace
Neva
Last night he preached from Mark 2--the story of the paralytic. You remember the story--Jesus had returned to Cana after preaching all over Galilee. He has returned to huge crowds, gathering to hear His words and perhaps once again become recipients of healing at His hand. The Messiah has drawn the masses to a house. The text says so many had gathered that there was no room left, even outside the door. Can you picture this crowd? All of them, trying to be quiet, not wanting to miss a word, and yet elbowing and squirming and wiggling just to get closer to the Savior? There is no room, no room for a Pharisee, no room for a blind man, no room for another apostle and certainly no room for a paralytic and his four friends. While an apostle may have been able to wiggle and squirm to the front, and perhaps a play on sympathy could have gotten a blind man in closer proximity, and maybe a Pharisee could have used his power to get in better position, there was no way four men carrying another were ever going to make it through to the Healer. The situation seems hopeless for the paralytic and his kind stretcher bearers.
They could have given up, weary with the burden of carryng their friend, they could have returned home and ate and rested and discuss the prospect of another day. They could have moved to the edge of the crowd, sat beneath the shade of a tree and waited, waited for the crowd to disperse, knowing Jesus would have to leave sometime. They could have done any number of things, but they didn't. They were desperate for healing, desperate for the touch of the Savior, desperate for the restoration of their friend. And so, they carried their friend up to the roof, they made a hole and lowered their friend down to Jesus --down to healing and salvation.
I know that there are some of us who are sick. Sin has a hold on us and we are desperate to escape. I know there are some of us who are paralyzed by pain and fear and lack of knowledge and as we stand unmoving, right where we have always stood, we long to move forward. I know there are some of us who have been swallowed up by the crowd. We have given into peer pressure and have come to believe that work, play, prestige, money and fame are more important than being with God and His people, more pressing than walking in His path and we have become busy, so busy that our view of the Savior is obscured by an overcrowded life, a life in which there is no time, no energy, no room for Him.
I also know that when we reach the point when we are ready to be healed, ready to move forward, ready to be God's, then nothing will stop us----we will do whatever it takes to get us to Jesus. We will push aside the cares of the world, we will throw off the cloak of cowardice and flee from the sinful darts Satan continues to hurl at us. We will wiggle and squirm and edge our way through the crowd, holding our breath, crawling on our hands and knees, or inch along on our stomach if need be. If we must, we will even call on our faithful friends to carry us.We will do anything to get to Jesus for weknow that only in His presence is there healing and wholeness and salvation. We can have all of this. Our faith can lead us to Him. All we have to do is make a hole!!!!
Peace
Neva
posted by Neva | 5:45 AM
19 Comments:
If we don't make room for God, He will not force His way into our lives, You are right, we need to make a hole---He is what we need anyway. Great thoughts,
Corinne
Amen! great post
Carol
A great post--a great analogy. i particularly like the part about being unable to see Jesus because of the crowded life. Very well done.
Blessings to you today,
Pat
Great thoughts Neva. Thanks for the encouraging words. I once heard Jeff Walling do a talk on this very passage of scripture. One of his thoughts were "We need more hold in the roof ideas!" Amen to both of you!
Hi Neva, Thank you so much for coming by and blessing me through your comments on my blog.
There could have been various reasons people had crowded around Jesus, but those desperate, really desperate for His touch received His power. Like the woman with the issue of blood.
Great post.
Thanks Neva, your words convict yet encourage me. So many times I feel like the friends. All work no glory, and act like, "why can't it wait till tomorrow!" Thank you for putting perspective on friendship and what is most important.
Matt
Sometimes it takes all your efforts AND those of your friends to "make a hole".
Great post, sister
Dan
Neva,
I have heard so many sermons about this passage of scripture, but none of them talked about the "hole" --what a great post.
Mary
So glad to see new posts from you. I miss them when you are gone.
I continue to take you and your family before God's throne in prayer.
In His love
Shari
Very good. Some are content to keep a crowd around, longing for Jesus, but never really coming face to face with His glory. It's more comfortable to be distracted with the crowd than to stand before the king, sins and all. There will be no healing until we say no to the obsticles and yes to the king.
Ben Overby
http://benoverby.wordpress.com
Very good post--convicting and encourageing. Thanks for this. I will think of it everytime I read the story.
Karli
amen!
Carlos
In a sermon I once heard from Max Lucado he said something to the effect that our God is a gentleman. He will not elbow His way into our lives. But the moment we step aside, take our hands out of His pockets, giving Him room {or making a hole for Him?] He immediately begins to work in our lives.
You are quickly joining Max as one of my favorite reads, Neva! Great post yet again!
In His love, grace and mercy
Kathy
Neva,
I am always amazed at the lessons you teach from the bible stories and life events. This is one more great post. I love the application.
Georgia
Neva,
Great post.
I believe that so many people in the world today feel the whole with so many other things beside Jesus. I pray that more and more people will have an open heart to make Jesus Lord of their life. Thank you for this wonderful post and God bless you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are so right. These are great thoughts Neva.
Blessings
Rachel
amen! sometimes we are too busy. we need to prioritize.
Lyndsay
The hole is already there, we just need to get through it. That means denying self.
Good post today.
Interested Bystander
Neva,
as always this post was a blessing.
Keep up the good work,
Jeneane
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home