The Gospel of Luke 5:17-26 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 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. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” The Gospel of the Lord
FAITH-FULL
August 2, 20202 Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
One of the first things that I saw when I came to Faith-Lilac Way many years ago was a banner hanging in the narthex that says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This quote from Hebrews, chapter 11, sums up what faith is and what it is not. It is not something that is proven, that you can earn, or is available for sale. Rather, it is a gift from God, a gift of knowing, of assurance and conviction.
Faith is not only what you believe in your head but is also what you believe in your heart and what is reflected in the way you live your life. That is what it means to be faith-full. It is the way we live out the convictions of our heart, our mind and our lives.
The story of the four faith-full friends bringing their hurt friend to Jesus illustrates faith in action.
Jesus was healing people – and the word was out! You can imagine what a crowd gathered – everyone wanted to hear and see the miracles of healing that Jesus was doing. But when the friends can’t get through the crowd, they bring him up on top of the house and lower him down through the roof! That’s innovation. Jesus says, “that’s faith.”
But notice, it wasn’t the man’s faith that Jesus was amazed at – it was the faith of his friends. The man couldn’t get to Jesus on his own. But his faithful friends could carry him to Jesus.
Faithful friends. As the body of Christ, that is what we are called to be. But, you may wonder, how can I do that during a pandemic?! We can’t get that close to one another. But there is more than one way to help carry someone else’s burden to Jesus and there is more than one way to be faithful friends.
Caring bridge is a wonderful online tool to communicate with others when you or a family member has a health or other crisis. It allows you to share updates and also needs and prayer concerns. On her caring bridge site, one woman called those who were responding to her needs with prayers and encouragement, her “mat-carriers.” They were her “faithful friends” that were helping her to see Jesus in the midst of a long and challenging health crisis.
You, people of faith – are mat-carriers, bringing people to Jesus… through your prayers and care. You are mat-carriers when you reach out with a phone call, a card, or a prayer. You are mat-carriers when you deliver a meal to someone in need. You are mat-carriers when you write a check so that kids and their families in our neighborhood can receive meals through Kidpack or Near foodshelf or through the ELCA hunger program across the world. You are mat-carriers when you carry the cares of the neighbor, the stranger, the other.
But, you might argue – I didn’t do much. I just prayed. Or I just sent a card. Or I just wrote a check.
Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, I know that you are mat-carriers because through throughout the time from when my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer to her time in hospice care, you did it for her and for me. Some of you prayed, others had a kind word or sent a card, wrote on Caring bridge, or visited with her and we all celebrated her life when she died last year. And I’ve seen you act as mat-carriers for others. You probably don’t even realize what an impact you have, but when you do these things to care for another, you bring the love of God and serve as Christ for another.
This is the power of Christian community. One person writes a note and another person sends a check and another person says a prayer. Together, you make a difference. Together you make Christ known.
Have you ever seen someone crowd surf? It’s pretty dangerous at a concert. But at camp, as part of a trust exercise, we have lifted the heaviest counselor above our heads. Not one of us could do that on our own – but because he trusted us, and made his body stiff – we were able to do that together. That’s community – that’s Christian community. It is the power of faith and is dependent upon trust in Jesus.
But, there are times in our lives in which it’s harder to trust even in Jesus. And there are times when bad things happen and life is hard. This might be such a time for you. And if so, you are not alone. The Covid19 pandemic and the social unrest has depressed and challenged many people. What then? Since faith is a gift – are you just stuck?
This was Mary’s concern. She had just experienced a tragic loss. It felt like everything in her world that she loved and trusted and lived for – was gone. She didn’t know what to do. Feeling a combination of embarrassment and frustration, she confessed to her friends, “I am so hurt. I am so angry about what happened and I am so mad at God that I can’t even pray right now. I don’t even know if I am a believer any more.” But instead of dismissing her concern, one of her friends took her hand and said to her, “Then we will believe for you right now. You don’t have to worry about your faith. We will keep it for you until you are ready to take it back. We will hold you up in prayer until you have faith again.” And they did.
That’s what the four friends were doing when they brought their friend on a mat to Jesus.
Although the obvious problem for the friend on the mat was that he was paralyzed, the first problem that Jesus noticed wasn’t his paralysis… it was his soul. So, the first thing that Jesus said to this man who was hurting and in need of healing was, “your sins are forgiven.” It was only after he sensed the grumbling of the pharisees and others that he said, “take up your mat and walk.” Two miracles happened that day – the wounded man was restored in his heart and soul and was restored to his feet. And it all happened because of the faith of his friends.
The four friends remind us that God made us for community. Faith is something that is not meant or even designed to be done on our own. And while we often like to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient, I think that one thing that has become clear to me is that we are connected. The Covid19 virus has shown that we not only breathe the same air but our actions affect the health not only of ourselves and those in our family and the friends we choose but also the grocery store clerks, teachers and caregivers and the strangers that used to stand in line beside us or sit near us in a restaurant, theatre, bus or airplane.
But just as our selfish actions can hurt the neighbor, our loving and faith-full words, actions and prayers can bless the neighbor. We, like the faithful friends – can lift up our neighbor when he falls and help her when she stumbles. Together, we can carry our neighbor’s burden – and they can carry ours – to Jesus. Thanks be to God!
Prayers of the People
Faithful God, help us to be faith-full mat-carriers, caring for one another, especially the stranger and the one in need, as you care for us. Lord in your mercy…Hear our prayer.
Surround our community of faith with health and peace. We remember before you: Donna, David, Jacqueline, Sandy, Beverly, Bob, Brad, Ruth, Casey/ Margaret, Linda, Dan, Cori, Lucas and Vic. Many are feeling isolated because of the pandemic, we remember those in care centers including Jane, George, Ramona, Lois Anderson, Helen, Bev, Carolyn, and Herb. We give thanks for the lives of JoAnn Bloom, Gail Frost and Representative John Lewis and ask you surround the family and friends of these and all who mourn with your comfort, compassion, and grace. Lord in your mercy… Hear our prayer
God of Faith, in the midst of the many challenges of our world, including the hurt and sin of racism and the harm that we do to the environment, teach us to be witnesses of a different way - your way. Lord in your mercy….Hear our prayer
Into your hands, O Lord, we place our cares and our joys, trusting in the assurance of your grace and your abundant love, mercy and peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen