Your Faith Matters to Your Friends!

“Just then some people brought a paraplegic man to him, lying on a sleeping mat. When Jesus perceived the strong faith within their hearts, he said to the paralyzed man, “My son, be encouraged, for your sins have been forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 TPT

The incident said in Matthew 9 is about true and faithful friends helping their disabled friends. They brought their paralytic friend on his sleeping mat. He could not sit or walk. They had to carry him to Jesus on his mat. No inconvenience hindered or stopped them from the act of faithfulness. When Jesus perceived the strong faith within their hearts, he said to the paralyzed man, “My son, be encouraged, for your sins have been forgiven.

Beloved, did you notice Jesus understood the strong faith within the heart of the friends? Not only did they take the pain to carry him to Jesus, but also they struggled to bring him down in front of Jesus by making a way through the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching. They couldn’t come through the door because of the large crowd in and around the house. They took initiative and hardships to bring their disabled friend to Jesus for healing, didn’t they? This is an example of faith in God and faithfulness to the friend.

Jesus admired the faith of his friends. The incident does not say about the faith of the disabled man, does it? By honoring the faith of the friends, Jesus forgave and healed the disabled man.

A paralytic man won’t make it to Jesus because he is disabled. You see, the Bible says all people everywhere are disabled because they are spiritually dead toward God. People cannot make it themselves to God. They simply won’t seek God to find him. They need help to get connected to God. People are disabled in many ways -by fear, guilt, pain, discouragement, disappointments, bruises and hurt. People like the Samaritan woman who is ashamed and hurt won’t make it to Jesus. Jesus had to go to her. (John 4).

We are not to point fingers and criticize them. Jesus said and it is recorded in Luke 14:23, “’Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full.” Not to criticize but lovingly compel them to come to Jesus. Jesus needs friends like you to go to the highways and byways to invite them to come to Him.
Beloved, you have people right there in your circles, family, neighborhood who need to experience the love, care, and blessings of God. It will be hard for them to get life and life eternal. They need the touch of Jesus as you had in your life.

Beloved, God would reward your faithfulness. Jesus promised and said, “Listen!” says Jesus. “I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me, to give to each one according to what he has done.” Revelation 22:12. (GNT) . This paralytic was fully cured and besides granted forgiveness of all his sins, not based on his faith, but based on his friend’s faith. Is it hard to figure out the truth here? God honors your faith and grants deliverance and blessings to others around you. Be faithful in sharing and introducing Jesus to others.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I know my faith in you is important to you and it impacts others around me. Help me to be a faithful friend to bring others to Jesus. I know Jesus was faithful to me. He came from heaven to this sin-bound earth to pay for my sins with his divine and sinless blood. Please forgive my sins and shortcomings. I accept him as my savior and Lord. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”