HOW FAR WILL YOU GO?

[SIROMYEL]

Mark 2:4

Since they couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where he was. They dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying


The word of God is clear. We will search for God and we will find him, but only if we search for him with all our hearts. Only if we are willingt to push aside the obstacles that stand between us and a savior who is not only willing to heal our physical.. . but also our spirittual.

Jesus is at home in Capernaum. And upon hearing of his presence, the people of the city gather to hear him speak.

But there is a man who desperately needs to find Jesus. He is paralyzed and has to be carried on a mat by four friends. But when he gets to the house, there is no possible entrance.


And so the four men carrying the paralytic dig a whole through the roof and stratigically descend their paralyzed right in front of the savior.
A few things catch my attention in this story.

1. There are two obstacles: the people who are blocking the main entrance, and the walls of the house themselves.

2. There are two kinds of people there: the ones who are blocking the entrance, and the ones who are helping the paralytic get in the house to see Jesus.

3. The paralyzed man and his friends had great faith that Jesus could help them. As ad emonstration of their faith, they were willing to go to great lengths to get in the house, even if it meant digging a whole through the roof.

4. After doing everything he could to see Jesus ... After piercing thorugh every obstacle that blocked him from Jesus... He found himself right in front of Jesus... a place where he could not be ignored.

5. The paralyzed man found more than he thought he would. Before Jesus even made him walk again... he forgave his sings.


Jesus is interested in doing more than solving our problems. He is interested in giving us not only a temporal solution... but an eternal solution. He is interested in forgiving our sins and giving us the gift of salvation.

But we have to want it bad enough. We have to be willing to ignore the people who stand in our way, and go above the obstacles in our lives.

We have to surround ourselves with the right people.. those who are willing to help us find him, instead of those that will stand in our way.

Those wh will envourage us in our quest, instead of those who will plant seeds of doubt and unbelief.

We have to believe that he can work miracles in our lives, and demonstrate that belief by piercing holes through the roofs of our barriers.

and then... Jesus seeing our faith, will not be able to ignore you. He will forgive your sins... and then heal your paralysis.

Maybe you have been looking for Jesus for a long time and he seems so out of reach.

That is probably because you do not want to meet him badly enough.

We will search for God and we will find him, but only if we search for him with all our hearts.

How far will you go?