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Get Out of My Way
It was like a scene out of a good movie. Five men were plotting their next move. One was quickly distinguished as the ringleader. His four cohorts were the hired muscle, present to carry out the physical demands of their carefully planned mission. As they saw the house upon which they would soon converge, they saw a crowd. What was going on? How would they get in and out with what they came for? The closer they got, they realized that there was competition. The crowd was not comprised of idle bystanders coincidentally present to admire the house’s architecture. No! Many were there for the same thing. It suddenly became a race to see who would be successful. Who would leave with the treasure? One thing was certain: No matter how many others crowded around, those five men would not leave until they were satisfied.
So, they continued their approach. The tension was building, especially since they were spotted. Others made it nearly impossible for the men to get in. There were so many people that they decided desperate circumstances required desperate measures. In a move that caused at least those farthest from the house to wonder, the four men scaled the wall carrying the ringleader to the roof. They safely got to the top, and as many looked up to see what would happen next, they removed some of the roof tiles and rappelled their leader. Was this about to be the heist of the century? Were they going down in history as the boldest robbers ever known?
This is a story of great faith, not folly. The four men carried their invalid friend on a cot, hoping to meet Jesus who was preaching at a house in the distance. The invalid man had sunken so low in grief, because of his condition, that any less radical approach would betray his need of healing. They were not planning to be destructive. They simply had to get him to Jesus before it was too late.
And that is the reality of many today. Their physical and spiritual lives are so pitiful that desperate measures have become essential. Their addiction to drugs has ruined their health and family bonds. Or perhaps poor health habits have contributed to uncontrollable high cholesterol, diabetes, or even cancer. Maybe depression or bipolar disorder has made the use of powerful psychotropic medications part of their daily regimen. Life seems to have become hopeless. But is there any hope? Can a person who can barely make it through the day be healed?
One thing that becomes abundantly clear as you read our theme story in Mark 2 is that Jesus is not only interested in our overall health—emotional, physical, and spiritual; He is the active Agent in bringing it about with our cooperation. The invalid man had the blessing of friends with faith equal to his, and Jesus would not ignore his need. Their faith compelled them to act, not allowing anything or anyone to impede their progress. They reached their goal. They went before the Lord and He not only healed the man’s disease, making him whole again, but He also saved his soul. Jesus answered the physical and, more important, the spiritual needs of this man. It was such a blessing that many in the crowd were “amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion” (Mark 2:12).
As you realize, daily, that God is the only one who can truly inspire good health and healing, never let anything or anyone stand between you and your faith goal of wholeness.
L. DAVID HARRIS, assistant registrar, Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, is founder of Each 1 Reach Many Ministries, author of Know Peace Within: A Life in Transition, and the two-volume set Alive at 5: Victory in Retrospect. To find out more, visit www.reachmanyradio.com. |
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