2 July 2015 - when jesus saw their faith

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

We are called to faith this morning. It is not a merely personal matter. Our faith has the power to change the world. It does not just impact our subjective state or give us good feelings. If we trust in the power of Jesus he is free to work.

He is able to heal and forgive the paralytic because of the faith of his friends.

The faith of Abraham becomes a blessing not just to himself, not just to his tribe, but "all the nations of the earth".

I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly

Abraham believes in God so wholeheartedly that he is able to offer him the one thing that he desires, the thing which seems to be the only way to attain the very promise of God. He is able to follow God even beyond his ability to reason or comprehend. 

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (cf. Heb. 11:17-19)

How real is our faith? Do we trust it to change not only our own lives but the lives of our friends and families? Will we go through any trouble to make this happen? We should be ready and willing to dig through the roof if that is what is necessary to get our friends to Jesus (cf. Mar. 2:4).

Is our faith so real that we can even offer God our own right to understand and comprehend in the way that Abraham does? Are we able to trust that his power can surpass any of the apparent limits of the world? The more we can lay down our own rights and prerogatives the more God is able to work through us to reveal his glory and bless the nations.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your kindness, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say, 
“Where is their God?”

The LORD wants all of us to walk in his presence in the land of the living. He himself wants to give us the faith we need to do so. Let us ask and receive.

The house of Israel trusts in the LORD;
he is their help and their shield.