DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS

"Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus." (Luke 5:18-19)

Imagine four men carrying a bed with a crippled man on it. They believed that Jesus could heal him, but when they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, they could not get into the house because of the crowd. So they went to Plan B. They went up on top of the house and tore off the roofing to create a hole to let the man down to Jesus. This was no small hole – big enough to let a bed through. I can just hear the people around Jesus complaining about the dust and debris that was falling on their heads. But the men accomplished their task and lowered the man down into the crowd. It was not an easy job, but they did it. And their perseverance was rewarded when the man was healed.

I like to think that there were at least four men bearing their friend to Jesus – one on each corner of the bed or cot. They might represent compassion, faith, perseverance, and ingenuity.

There are people around us who are crippled – paralyzed by sin. They cannot get to Jesus on their own and need to have help. So love steps up and says, "Let us take you to Jesus." Faith says, "Yes, we believe that Jesus will make you whole." Perseverance says, "We will keep at it until we get you to Jesus." And ingenuity says, "It may be a challenge, but we will find a way."

The essence of evangelism is to bring people to Jesus. It may take some doing, but when we see a person made whole, it is worth it.

May love for the lost, faith, perseverance, and ingenuity be the four corners of our evangelism efforts.

Love, Dad