Sunday: The Faith of Friends
Daily Lesson for Sunday 19th of November 2023
A powerful story in the Gospels reveals what some men went through in order to bring a needy person, probably a friend, to Jesus. We can learn from what happened here about the hard work it might sometimes take to minister to those in need.
Read Luke 5:17-26 (see also Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:3-12). What are some of the lessons we can take from this story about mission and ministry?
By bringing their friend to Jesus, these men took on the responsibility to care for him. God is calling us to be like this man’s friends—to lead the needy to Jesus Christ. This work requires faith, action, patience, and a willingness, if need be, to be unconventional. The men came to Jesus but encountered barriers. They could not bring their helpless friend to Jesus through traditional means. They did not give up; instead they found an innovative way of getting the man to Jesus Christ. Dropping their friend down from the roof! Yet, according to Luke, Jesus approved of what they did (see Luke 5:20).
Jesus’ desire is for us to bring our helpless friends to Him. The Bible refers to Jesus as the Great Physician who longs to forgive and heal those who are suffering, whoever they are.
Ellen G. White challenges us to help the helpless: “Do not wait to be told your duty. Open your eyes and see who are around you; make yourselves acquainted with the helpless, afflicted, and needy. Hide not yourselves from them, and seek not to shut out their needs. Who gives the proofs mentioned in James, of possessing pure religion, untainted with selfishness or corruption? Who are anxious to do all in their power to aid in the great plan of salvation?”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 29.
Jesus Himself demonstrates how to help the helpless and is calling us to do the same. First, we become their friends; then we learn about their needs; and finally, we lead them to Jesus, who is the only One who can help them. This is what the men in this story did; we need to do likewise in whatever situation we find ourselves. Help lead people to the only One who can save them: Jesus.
Who around you, right now, needs some help? What are you going to do for them?
(32)
The title of this lesson "the faith of friends" took my mind down a side path to what the lesson was actually about.
I just wanted to say I enjoy reading the posts each week and it is wonderful to realize that there are followers of Christ from all over the world who I now look forward to meeting in heaven :).
So from a remote small town in Washington USA to all of you thank you for your comments and input.
May the Lord use each one of us around the world to minister in our communities and may the Lord continue to pour out His Spirit mightily and use us where He would to lift up and heal a broken world so we all can go home soon!
Thank you for the discussion. Today after studying and looking deeply at the topic it takes me to a place where I had to ask myself “Are my friends so dear to me to the point where i will make every effort to take them or introduce them to Jesus.
I will pray for them.
„This work requires faith, action, patience, and a willingness, if need be, to be unconventional.“
I do agree with this statement, however, our help or duty to help must come from the heart. If I don‘t react immediately to someone‘s needs then something is missing.
Currently I was involved in assisting a foreign woman who came to a Health Centre while I was spending few weeks there, and needed a translator. So immediately I understood, that’s my job.
I realized the following days how appreciative she was , she could rely on me for other matters, which means she trusted me. Yet, others were critical towards my actions, why, because people in our society are hard- hearted ,selfish and haven‘t learned to care for the needy- so in their opinion I was doing the unnecessary.
Sometimes we stand alone, but that‘s ok. God will always be near.
I pray for my Atheist friends. My prayer goes like this. Lord, I have some Atheist friends who I would like to see in the Kindom of heaven. Reveal yourself in my life and the way I interact with them. Send your Holy Spirit to give me the right words to represent you to them. Help me to be compassionate and understanding towards them.
You see, I think that often we pray that our friends will be changed when we should really be praying that our lives will be changed so that they will see Christ in us.
Dear Maurice – Since your shared your prayer for your atheist friends with us, please allow me to list a few Scripture passages just to point out that the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer from the time he first believed.
When we make our petitions known, our prayers, when coming from a humble heart that loves our heavenly Father, are guided already by His Spirit from within.
1Cor.3:16 points out that we are individually a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us.
Rom 8:9 assures us that we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in us. The Fruit of the Spirit expressed in our life is a good indicator of this.
Gal.4:6 – “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba” Father!”
1 Cor.6:19 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
2 Tim. 1:14 – “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”
Well now Maurice, This side of Jesus second coming we can never "Equal" the pattern of Jesus in Holiness and righteousness and sinlessness, so no matter howmuch we pray that this happens so that our Atheistic friends see Jessu in us, this will never occurr at all. But if we pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to them about Jesus as we "Witness" to them about Jesus, The Holy Sirit will do this without any doubt at all. Our witness should always be abut Jesus and never about uis at all.
That is what I meant!
Ok that is great! But again, our "Good works" will never equal Jesus works at all either. For even though Jesus Himself said that His Followers would do "Greater woks," than His, yet as far as "Sinlessness, Righteousness, and Holiness," this we can never equal this side of His Second Coming, and I will venture on to say that We probably will never equal this after His Second Coming either.
It was never about equaling, Pete. It’s about revealing.
OK. but to me for "Revealing," we would have to "Equal it." And this side of His Second Coming we never will "Equal it," much less "Reveal it." But we can witness about Him to others and only to "The Best of our abilites," do what we can to also reveal it in our own lives. But again it will never happen in this "Revealing," 100% this side of His Second Coming to be sure. But Jesus did reveal His Fathers' character 100% and that is all we need this side of His Second Coming, and the Holy Spirit will do the rest also 100%. And that is what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do in John 16:10-12, He (The Holy Spirit,) will reprove, "Reveal," the world of 'Sin," and of "Reighteousness," and of "Judgement." Jesus never said that "We," would do this. He said that The Holy Spirit would do this "revealing," (Reproving.) And yes He will use us, but the Perfect "Revealing," will be The Holy spirits' "Work," not "Ours at all."
Ah, Pete. You are semantically persistent. I rest my case - I have work to do.
Maurice Sabbath morning blessings to you. it seems like your ways is unconventional! love this approach. I mean beating these non-Adventist over the head with scriptures is not the solution to arrest their attention.
However, pleading with the Holy Spirit to change our lives and our approach should be something to consider. In fact, the best sermon ever preached is the life you live.
The lesson shows us helping can be hard work, but when we mix work with faith big things can happen. We have a higher chance of bringing ppl to God if we try hard to help.
Last week, we learned about who our neighbor is. This week, we get to practice about what are their needs. Empathy may be the keyword here. By being with Christ, we will wake up for whatever our talents can help our neighbors. There is always something straightforward we can do to help someone around. This is my and your duty: to share what we have already received!
One of my favorite song is "I need the prayers of those I love" and in return those we love need our prayers. Part of loving our neighbors is to serve and meet their needs. We are to show our love not in words or talk but in deeds and in truth, which includes sharing our worldly goods with people when we see their needs (John 3:1
7,18).
A Godly neighbor shows hospitality because if not then we will say, "Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink?"
We should build up our neighbors (Romans 15:2). not tear them down.
Let us go forth and be a neighbor. Do it not to earn God's love but to share the love that God has shown us. (1 John 4:19-21).
This really shows how great our role is in the wellbeing of others.
That is so true. It's not just their their physical illnesses that we are to be considerate of but their mental, psychological, social and spiritual.
Even the rich can be needy.
This reminds me that the patient, brought to Christ, not only suffered from physical illess but also from spiritual sickness, inasmuch as his sins were forgiven. Christ wants to heal what is hidden deep inside and unburden our burdened soul- sickness. What a message, when he was showing up at home relating what had happened. What a message, relating our own experience to others, pointing sufferers to Christ the Great Healer.
Winfried Stolpmann
Often, we miss our call to act on behalf of our friend or neighbour in need because they are not showing signs of physical illness and seem not to have immediate needs.
Too many times we miss sharing a smile, a comforting or encouraging word, a shake hand or just a touch on the shoulder that says I'm here for you even if all you need is someone to listen and understand.
Thank you Jesus Christ for the gift of holy spirit to guide us and direct our path
Father Thank You
Studying the healing of the paralysed sufferer pardoned by Christ (Luke 5:20), I observed that the gospel of luke, within the setting of rejected sinners (Luke 15:1-2), is ending up in great joy. So in the parable of the lost sheep, the lost silver-coin and the lost son (Luke 15). Sin may even reach up to heaven (Revelation 18:5), but the joy about one repenting sinner reaches even into heaven so much that all angels rejoice at even one repenting soul (Luke 15:7). Christ would have given his life for only one sinner. This offeres us the right motivation for mission and communication with people outside all biblical norms. This I want to share with you.
Winfried Stolpmann