Open Roofs

Intro

Luke 5:17–26 NIV

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 he 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.”

Healer - Miracles of Jesus. In this new series, we want to look at the healing power of Jesus.

Through these healing miracles, Jesus manifests His power, declares His divinity, and reveals His loving character.

Open Roofs. The title of this first sermon is "Open Roofs."

As we will see, this healing miracle of Jesus was born precisely because the roof of that house was opened.

Before we go into the details, I want to point out that "the power of the Lord was with Jesus, healing the sick" (Luke 5:17).

This power had a goal: to heal!

The goal was not to entertain the crowd, or to impress the religious leaders, but to heal the sick.

Similarly, the goal of this series is not to entertain anyone, but to see you receive divine healing through the power of God.

When the power of God is manifest, opposition also increases. In fact, Luke mentions that the scribes and Pharisees "came from every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem" (Luke 5:17).

Sermon's atline. This morning we will see how it all began: from an open roof.

A paralytic man was presented before the One who has the power to heal.

In this regard, I want to consider 3 actions that Jesus does under this open roof (Luke 5:24):

What Jesus sees;

What Jesus hears;

What Jesus heals.

N. 1 - What Jesus Sees

Luke 5:20 NIV

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Dust and rubble. Opening a hole in the roof, big enough to lower a man on a cot, means producing rubble, dust.

Yet Jesus did not look at the rubble and dust produced by those 4 men, Jesus looked at something else.

Similarly, when we approach Jesus we also produce dust and rubble.

Our past brings with it so much debris and dust, sins, bonds and infirmities.

Precisely for this reason, many do not go to Jesus: they fear that Jesus might be indignant about the debris and dust that they carry with them.

The religious leaders noticed the hole in the roof, the crowd noticed the dust on the mat, the owner of the house saw the debris on the floor, but Jesus saw something else:

a. Their love. Those 4 friends, for love, overcame many obstacles. For love they crossed that crowd. For love they temporarily vandalized a roof!

If you have love for your family, for your marriage, you will also be willing to break what is holding you back from reaching Jesus.

b. Their conviction. R. Kent Hughes says: “the 4 friends had the conviction that Jesus was the only hope for healing.”

Healing, salvation, deliverance, power, restoration, are blessings that we can receive only in Jesus.

This is also the conviction of Peter:

Acts 4:12 NIV

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

It does not matter how much dust and rubble you carry with you, the important thing is that in your heart there is the conviction that Jesus is your only way of salvation.

c. Their faith. Luke is explicit about their faith (Luke 5:20).

True faith produces actions, while false faith stops at words.

In these 4 men there is the dynamism of faith!

In them we see concrete actions.

The author of Hebrews 11 lists men and women who didn't just talk about faith in God, didn't just sing, didn't just discuss their trust in the Lord, but they acted by faith!

Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Sarah, Deborah, Rehab, they acted by faith.

When there is faith you can see it. Faith has weight, faith you can touch, faith is real! And Jesus saw their faith.

N. 2 - What Jesus hears

Luke 5:22 NIV

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

The second miracle of Jesus. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus manifests His divinity by revealing the secret questions of the Pharisees (Luke 5:22).

Constructive and Destructive Criticism:

Constructive criticism is when I criticize you; destructive criticism is when you criticize me.

Anonymous

Let's see how Jesus handles the criticism of the Pharisees.

a. Jesus welcomes everyone, even critics. It is interesting to note that faith is seen while sterile criticism, opposition is not easy to detect.

In fact, critics are not seen, but you can hear their criticism behind the scenes. Hold on to those who honestly express their criticism.

Jesus does not push the Pharisees away. He does not ask His disciples to throw them out of the house.

Jesus welcomes the critics and does not reject them.

Many feel rejected by God because of their criticism, because of their questions, yet here we read how Jesus welcomed these Pharisees despite their evil criticism.

Jesus is the only Person with whom you can also start off on the wrong foot.

b. Jesus confronts the critics. Jesus exposes the thoughts and criticisms of the Pharisees.

He is ready to answer their accusations!

The Lord is not intimidated by their thoughts, nor is He threatened by their questions.

6432 Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but one who stands in the thick of the whole thing.

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Our God has always taken criticism seriously: when Sarah, Abraham's wife, laughed at the promise of a son, the Lord confronted her:

Genesis 18:13–15 NIV

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Jesus is ready to welcome anyone, but know that He is also ready to confront our criticisms.

N. 3 - What Jesus Heals

From enemy to friend. As we will see, Jesus will heal this paralytic, but what has created tension between the religious leaders and Jesus is precisely the spiritual healing that the Master grants to this man.

Before healing his legs, Jesus decided to heal his heart.

That man was spiritually paralyzed and Jesus freed him.

What a glorious word was spoken by Jesus in that house: “forgiveness". What a miracle!

MacArthur said: "Forgiveness, what a word. Nothing is more foreign to sinful human nature than forgiveness. And nothing is more characteristic of divine nature than forgiveness."

Jesus confirms this miracle of spiritual healing with a word: Friend.

Because of his sins, because of his transgressions, that man deserved judgment, condemnation, eternal punishment.

He was an enemy of God, but Jesus healed this relationship and now he is a friend of God.

This is the greatest miracle: when Jesus heals our relationship with God.

John 15:15 NIV

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Are you a friend of God?

Do you think your relationship with God needs healing?

Are you tired of being His enemy?

Are you tired of being spiritually paralyzed? Let Jesus heal you today!

Conclusion

Jesus heals you. When the roofs open the Lord manifests His power.

One of the revelations that God gives to Israel in Exodus is this: "I am the Lord, He who heals you" (Exodus 15:26).

Draw near to Him in faith and let Him heal your heart.

Let Jesus transform you from an enemy to a friend of God. Amen.