“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” -Luke 5:26
One of the best examples of loving your neighbor is found in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was in the area around the Sea of Galilee. He was at a house with many from the community and some Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come to hear him teach. The house was beyond capacity. They were standing in every corner and sitting in every seat. Although Jesus had only just started his ministry, his name and the stories of his miracles and teachings were spreading.
Some men in the community wanted to help their neighbor. He was paralyzed. They all wanted to see Jesus, hoping the paralyzed man could be healed. The men picked up the paralytic man and carried him on his mat to see Jesus. They could not push their way into the crowd when they arrived at the house. Thankfully, they did not give up. They held tight to the mat and the paralyzed man and made their way onto the roof. When they were above Jesus, they lowered the man through the roof tiles into the middle of the room.
Luke records that this loving and merciful action moved Jesus. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Later, he would also say, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” (Luke 5:17-26) People had gathered to see the one who could perform miracles. Not only did they witness one, but they also saw the fulfillment of the law that day.
The end of this story is punctuated with the line, “We have seen remarkable things today.” (Luke 5:26). Without a doubt, the healing of the paralytic man is “remarkable.” However, I wonder if we miss the additional power present in this story. The love and mercy provided by the men who climbed a roof to place their friend in front of Jesus was truly inspirational. The paralytic man was helpless and hopeless until his neighbors went out of their way to serve. It was the love of neighbor that carried this man to a place of healing.
We all possess the power present in this story. When we commit to loving our neighbor as God has loved us, we will find that we, too, are capable of “remarkable things.”
“Do everything in love.” -1 Corinthians 16:14
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
