COVID-19 vs. Luke 5:19

Opening Story

COVID-19 vs. Luke 5:19

Covid-19. I’m tired of Covid-19. It has changed our world. It’s put fear into our hearts. It’s put uncertainty in our daily lives. It’s rearranged our work schedule. It’s made every parent with students a full time teacher. It’s kept us from sporting events, concerts, and even physically meeting together as a church.

Now I believe some of these things are a blessing. At least in the short term.

For many it has taken away distractions. In the evening I have more time with my children instead of watching the Penguin game, for example.

Now we know that the church is not the building. You and I, God’s children, are the church. And speaking of the Penguins I am going to borrow a phrase from Mike Lange. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” the church has left the building. If you are a Penguin fan you know exactly what I’m talking about. When you hear him say that “Elvis has left the building.” You know victory is a sure thing. Now we as the church have been forced to leave the building

Question

How do we all struggle with this?

Now allow me to ask you a question. You can answer as loud or quite as you want because you are not in the church building.

How has your relationship with the Lord been over these past couple of weeks?

What have you done to grow with Jesus and spend time with Him?

Have you used “no church” as an excuse?

This virus is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Spread, cause sickness, and even death. We have taken steps to try to slow and even stop this virus from doing what it is supposed to do. We have kept our distance from each other.

What if we as the body of Christ, the very Church itself, did exactly what we are supposed to do? Spread, spread love, peace, joy, hope and yes, even life.

Application

Let’s take a look at a portion of scripture to see what our first step should be in a situation like this.

Luke 5:17 CSB

On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him.

“Pharisees and teachers of the law”

AKA the influential and religious

from every village of Galilee and Judea

“the power to heal”

God’s power.

The word that Luke uses for power here is dunamees and that is were we get our word dynamite. Boom!

Luke 5:18 CSB

Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him.

Luke 5:18

The world is sick and paralyzed in its sin. We know who has the dynamite to heal.

Are you being the friend who will carry someone (if necessary) to meet God or do you just tell them they are on their own because you have your own problems.

Luke 5:19 CSB

Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

Picture this! These four friends are determined to get this man to Jesus. When the crowd gets in their way, they just pack up and go home. No? Why not? They had a better excuse than I could ever come up with.

They literally could not get him to Jesus.

Look around your world right now? Who is on a stretcher and in need of Jesus? What are you doing about it?

They did whatever was necessary to get the paralyzed man to Jesus. Do you think they would let a virus stop them?

Now I want to be a team player and I want to help keep you and your family as well as my family safe and healthy. I’m not saying go running out and do something foolish but you may just need to look around and find another way.

Luke 5:20 CSB

Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5

Seeing whose faith? The man in the stretcher’s faith? No, the ones who brought him.

At this point in our story did Jesus heal him? No. Jesus took care of the most important thing. He forgave him of his sins.

I say this with great respect of what is going on around us, but getting the Corona Virus is not the worst thing that could happen to you. Dying is not the worst thing that could happen to you.

Luke 5:21 CSB

Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Luke 5:21

Now the holy rollers get all excited and upset. They are thinking to themselves “only God can forgive sins.”

Luke 5:22 CSB

But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts?

Luke 5:22–24 CSB

But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

Luke 5:22-

Now, I love this part of the story.

My Jesus is just showing off. He tells the guy get up and go home. I love it!

Luke 5:25–26 CSB

Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

That blew everybody away and they glorified God.

Challenge

How can we all live this out together?

Luke 5:19 CSB

Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

You worried about your friends health? Get them to Jesus.

Can’t visit them right now? Find a way.

Can’t take them out for dinner right now? Find a way.

Can’t even take them to church right now? Find a way.