I've heard various points made about this story.
His friends believed for his healing.
His friends did what they needed to do to get him to Jesus.
Jesus healed the man.
Jesus forgave his sin.
The religious leaders didn't like what Jesus did.
Jesus was not afraid of the religious leaders.
He answered them.
The man was healed and walked away.
I am struck by another unspoken fact:
THE GUY WHO WAS NICE ENOUGH TO HOST JESUS IN HIS HOUSE WAS LEFT WITH A HOLE IN HIS ROOF.
There is no epilogue. There is no Go-Fund-Me page to raise funds to fix the roof of the house. We don't read that Jesus spoke the words, "Roof be fixed."
Nope.
Now there is some debate about what KIND of roof the house had, and whether or not it was an easy fix, or whether or not they used an electric power saw to cut through it (they did not).. .but the point is that however difficult - or simple - it was to fix the roof, it needed to be fixed. Repaired.
What was the reason the guy had a hole in his roof?
He had nothing but good intentions.
He hosted Jesus in his house.
He made it possible for Jesus to be near the people in his neighborhood.
And it ruined his roof.
But a paralyzed man was healed.
And a sinner was forgiven.
And people saw and experienced something they had never seen or experienced - the power of God in and through Jesus.
I pray that he was able to know that whatever it cost him was worth whatever it gave to others. I pray he knew that God gives rewards that have nothing to do with our stuff.
That's the core of letting Jesus use your life.
And your stuff.
And your time.
Am I willing to live with "a hole in the roof" if that's what it takes for someone who is paralyzed to feel God's power and be healed? Physically? Spiritually? Emotionally?
Missionaries still miss their home.
Pastors and their families still hate living in a fishbowl.
Martyrs still feel the pain of being martyred.
And to mention the ridiculous...
Carpets still get dirty when you host a small group.
Cars still get extra mileage when you volunteer to drive someone somewhere.
People still reject you when they are unwilling to hear God's law.
Jesus promised us that anyone who gives up everything here - will be rewarded a hundred-fold here and there for doing so. The process isn't easy without His Spirit pouring HIS love in to our hearts.
Roofs still have holes in them when you offer your "house" for Jesus to live in.
It isn't easy to give up our lives for the Gospel.
UNLESS... eternal life is something we value more than our stuff on this earth.
And when I might be tempted to whine to Jesus, saying, "Hey Jesus! There's a hole in my roof"
I hear Him gently remind me..
"Hey! There are holes in My hands! There's a hole in My side. There are holes in My feet."
He gave everything for me.
I cannot give less for Him.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?"
Luke `14:28-34
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