Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Luke 5:18-19 NIV
Seneca lived in a third floor apartment. She would jump over the railing on the back porch and walk on the roof. This was acceptable when you had her on a leash but many times she escaped and you would see her pass by the window. The neighbors said they would be sitting in their living room and glance up and Seneca would be flashing them her husky smile.
One afternoon, my daughter parked the car to get Seneca. There was a crowd gathered on the street, all looking up. As she glanced up, Seneca glanced down. You could almost see the debate going on in that little husky mind. Should I jump or not? That was the question. Thankfully she turned and came down the steps and was loaded in the car. Off she went, never knowing the worry she had caused with her roof top run.
One of my favorite bible stories as a child was from Luke, Chapter 5. Jesus was busy healing people and drew a crowd everywhere he went. Everyone in the vicinity came to hear his teaching and to see the miracles he performed. He brought hope to the helpless and healing to the sick.
There was a man who was paralyzed and couldn’t make it to Jesus on his own. His friends brought him but the crowd was so thick, they couldn’t get near the Savior. They didn’t let that stop them. They climbed the roof, made a hole in someone else’s property and lowered their friend down through the roof on a mat. Plop! Right in front of Jesus!
Jesus was so impressed with the faith of these men that he forgave the man’s sins. When the church leaders got uptight about him thinking he was able to forgive sins, Jesus told the man to get up, grab your mat and go home. The man did just that and went on his way praising God. He had gotten everything he had hoped for and more.
As a child, I was amazed that someone would put a hole in a roof to help their friend. I wanted friends like that. They cared enough to take the time out of their busy schedules. They gave their friend hope and when they ran into an obstacle, they overcame it. They believed and did something about it. These friends shared their faith.
As an adult, I’m still amazed. Do you have friends like that who will support you and make time to help your dreams become reality? Are you a friend like that? Is your faith strong enough to share? Do you take your friends to Jesus as the solution to their every need? Let’s not let any obstacle stop us from being a true friend and reaching the goal.
Just Another Dog Devotion 