Been listening to Daily Hope by Pastor Rick Warren recently. Wow, I've discovered so many things through his teaching on the areas of Healing and Love. The first few sessions of Daily Hope was on the topic, "Life's Healing Choices". There were sermons on the different choices in the healing process of a person, be it yourself or others.
One specific session I recall was the one on Luke 5. It explained how healing takes place in a small group and the 3 characteristics of the people in the small group that is important for the healing process to take place.
So to give us a little background of Luke 5:17-26, "Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralysed Man". In this story, a group of men, carrying their paralysed friend on a mat, came into the midst of Jesus as He was teaching at Galilee. They had wanted to lay their friend before Jesus. However, because there was a huge crowd of people before them, they could not go near to Jesus. So, this group of friends brought the mat with their paralysed friend onto the roof of the house Jesus was teaching in. They removed the tiles and made a hole in the roof and lowered their friend into the room, in the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. And Luke 5:20 says that " When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” "
So, the first of the 3 characteristics is 'Compassion'. In Romans 15:1-2, Paul reminded us that "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." and that "Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." Why does God need compassionate people? --> When you have compassion for others and are not constantly inward looking, you are able to be sensitive to the needs of those around you. Your friends, siblings, family, etc. And unless you are not preoccupied by your own needs and the "Me, Myself and I" mentality, God can use you in the healing process of the people around you.
The second characteristic is 'Faith'. Remember that in the story, specifically in verse 20, before Jesus' comment, when He saw the mat being lowered until it was right in front of Him. It described what Jesus saw in the 4 friends who lowered the mat. It said "When Jesus saw their faith..." Whoa! This is something I missed because I always thought that the healing itself was important! But Jesus sees not just the paralysed man, He saw the 4 friends and He knew it was their faith that this friend could be healed. --> You need to have faith to believe that your friend can be healed! Say your friend is down and needs to hear the Word of God, but does not want to do that. Is the faith in your small group big enough to overcome even the little to no faith of your friend? Your faith CAN heal your friend!
And finally, the third characteristic, 'Intervention'. Intervention is prayer. But not just prayer, intervention is the action that comes with prayer. Yes, I pray, but if I pray and do not put into action, my faith is dead! James 2:17 says "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." In the story, will the paralyse man be able to be healed on that day if his friends had not been the one to take action and move him from his house to where Jesus was? NO, he wouldn't have been healed that day! But because his friends had faith and put it into action, they could witness their friend's healing right in front of their eyes that day!
What actually happens for the friends? Do they get anything out of it? -->
1) They learn how to be sensitive to the need of their friend.
2) Their faith is increased when they witness the miracle healing of their friend, which was by their faith.
3) They are compelled to keep on doing what they are doing!
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