Tearing Through Roofs

Luke 5:17-26

17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

21 But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

25 And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

New Living Translation

Look at how far these friends went to see their friend healed. They sacrificed their time, to carry him to where Jesus was. And when they saw that there were too many people in front of them for their friend to see Jesus, they did not give up. Instead, they did something incredibly risky. They climbed up on the roof, and began to tear it open.

I'm sure that homeowners in those days were no more likely to be thrilled at having someone rip off their roof than today's homeowners would be. In fact, these men would have known that according to Jewish rules, they would have to reimburse the home's owner not only for the roof, but for three times it's value! They didn't just act rashly, they knew that what they were doing was going to cost them. But if their friend would be healed, it would be worth it all!

It makes me wonder, how much am I willing to risk to see my friends be touched by Jesus? Is it worth giving up my time, or my resources? Am I willing to put my reputation on the line in order to see someone be saved? Lord, give me a passion for the lost souls all around me!