Ample Opportunity

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
Mark 2:1-4 NLT

The "What Would Jesus Do" campaign became popular in the US in the late 1980s and gained in popularity through the 1990s. Then in 2010, they made a movie by the same title, and later, a second movie. However, did you know it goes way back before that? In 1891 (yes, that's 18 hundred), Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon using the repeated phrase and cited his source as a book written early in the 15th Century. However, as all great Truths, this, too, comes directly from the Word of God:

Philippians 2:5 The Passion Translation, And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.

1st John 2:6 NLT, Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

And it should be our standard for living. However, in reading Mark 2, my question was more about what would I have done if I was one of the four men taking the man to Jesus? Obviously, they were late to the gathering because the place was already packed with people. Yes, that would probably have been me, usually last minute... Would I have been put off by the crowd? Would I have given up because there was no way we were getting in, let alone to the front? No seats to be had? Couldn't even see Jesus and definitely couldn't hear Him outside...

What?!? Through the roof?!? Are you crazy? How are we gonna get him ON the roof? And then expect me to tear a hole in the roof big enough to lower him in front of Jesus? Who's paying for that?!?

What would you have done? How many of us would have left at first sight of the crowd? As Christ followers, we have ample opportunities to overcome obstacles and ample opportunities to exercise our faith. Do we? Would we? What would Jesus do?

Prayer:

Father,
           Forgive us for all the times we make excuses - for those times that we allow our faith to be deterred by circumstances and what we see in front of us. Father, we want to walk by faith and not by sight, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen