The Huge Holy Hole

Tuesday   9-22-15  (Home in Modesto, California)

Scripture reading:   Dan 9-10    Ps 123    Luke 5

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Luke 5:18-20  Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to push through the crowd to Jesus, but they couldn't reach him. So they went up to the roof, took off some tiles, and lowered the sick man down into the crowd, still on his mat, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven.” NLT

O.  How many men does it take to carry a sick man to Jesus? Mark’s account tells us there were four.

How far had they come?  No record. There is only one indication, they were not planning to carry him back.  They were going to make sure that this guy was going to carry his own weight plus his cot on the trip home. 

Who were the people in the crowded doorway that wouldn’t step aside to let them in?  No record.  But they didn’t want to miss a single word of Jesus’ teaching.  If they were Pharisees, they were probably taking mental notes to build a case against Jesus.

Whose idea was it to rip up a portion of the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching?  No record.  But he had to be a true friend of the sick man.  He was not going to be denied access to Jesus. 

Where was the owner of the house sitting?  No record.  I am guessing in the front row... right where the small chunks of dirt started falling. 

A.  What would my reaction be if somebody started tearing up my roof?  “Hey, you!  Who!  What!”  But I am trapped inside by the same crowd that kept the paralytic out.  “Who’s going to repair my roof?  My insurance won’t cover this!” 

The once paralyzed man... with sins forgiven and body healed, hoists his cot to his shoulder... and now, the awestruck crowd opens a passage for him to get out.  Am I right behind him, trying to get his address to file a law suit?  Maybe, just maybe... I am glued to my seat under a huge holy hole in my roof... overwhelmed in the presence of the Son of the living God... that can truly forgive sins and heal sick bodies!

P.  Lord, You know I get uptight too quickly.  If I only knew the value of that huge holy hole I would have saved it for future tourists.  I am too quick to want to “fix things” when I should be glued to my seat... or falling on my knees in the presence of the Forgiver and Healer.  Please teach me to cool it and just crash at Your feet.  Amen.

Ralph