And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” Luke 5:18-25
A song came to mind when I read this passage and thought about how it applied to the typical kids in our families. It's "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." It was written back in 1969 according to Wikipedia. Here's part of the lyrics:
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
In Luke, a crowd had gathered around Jesus as He taught. But a group of men had a mission—get their friend to Jesus. The room was so crowded, they went up on the roof and lowered him into the room where Jesus was. Verse 20 says when Jesus saw their faith, he forgave the man's sins.
It was the friends' faith that made the difference. It woke them up that morning. It gave them the strength to carry their friend. It inspired them to climb on the roof. It empowered them as they lowered their friend down. And it was rewarded when Jesus saw what they had done. Was it hard? Sure sounds like it! But if asked, they likely would have said, "He ain't heavy. He's our brother."
<<First Name>>, I want David to be the type of brother and friend who brings others to Jesus because he knows only Jesus can meet their deepest needs. I want that for the typical siblings you're praying for as well. I know that will look different for every family situation. But if our typical kids believe they are an important part of the story God is writing, He can use them to accomplish His purposes. Their faith can be rewarded just like the friends in Luke!
Join me in prayer,
God, what an honor it is that You use us to help bring people into a relationship with You. When we share our stories, they encourage others. We've seen that in our own lives, and today we pray for that to happen in the lives of our children. Give them the same faith that these men had as they brought their friend to Jesus. Help _____ to overcome obstacles and to stay focused on Jesus as he/she brings his/her siblings and friends into His presence. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.
With Your Child:
Read this story with your child and ask him/her how they can bring their sibling(s) and friends to Jesus. Here are some suggestions to spark ideas:
pray for them
invite friends to church
read Bible stories with siblings
talk with friends about what God has done in their life
P.S. Right now, my book Unexpected Blessings is just $2.99 on Chrisitanbook.com! If you don't have a copy, now would be a great time to check it out.
Our mailing address is:
1591 County Road 144
Alvin, TX 77511
I love being able to connect with you by email, but if my emails aren't what you expected or don't meet your needs anymore,
you can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. I hate to see you go though, so if you have advice for what I could do differently, reply to this email and let me know!