My senior year of high school I was invited by some other
teenagers in my church to attend a weekly Bible study in another northern
Virginia town about 15 minutes (in those days) away. At that time in my life I was more than excited about my
relationship with Christ, and the opportunity to learn more was welcome. It didn’t hurt either that I discovered
there were some pretty girls there as well. Hey, I was 17.
A 30-something couple in our church had opened up their home
for the study. He was a
contractor. I don’t remember where
she worked, but they just loved being catalysts for teens opening God’s Word
and having their lives changed.
Each week we’d meet in their living room for a couple of
hours, Bibles and heart open. I’d
bring my guitar and we’d sing some of those early Jesus people songs. The combination of love from the hosts
and learning truth from the Scriptures caused the numbers to grow. The living room was packed.
Then this couple made a decision that has stuck with me for
over 40 years. Not wanting to
stifle the growth of the study by a lack of room they decided to tear out a
wall between their living and dining rooms. It wasn’t long thereafter that sledge hammers were punching
holes in the walls, wiring was re-routed, two-by-fours relocated and voila, two
rooms became one. Now the numbers
of kids could continue to grow.
More would be invited. More would understand God’s grace.
Tearing out a wall in your house for kids who aren’t even
your own is a pretty radical step.
But it was a step they felt compelled by their love for Christ and us
that they knew was the right, even though some might feel extreme thing to do. But, genuine Christianity has been
marked by radical moves, tearing down walls for centuries. A crisis arises, and rather than say
what can’t be done someone steps out of the box and does what others never
dream of doing.
In once scene from Jesus’ life something similar was
done. In Mark 2 the story is
reported how Jesus was teaching in a house in the Galilean city of
Capernaum. The house was so
crowded there was only room outside to hear through the doors and windows.
In the same town was a paralytic with four friends. They had heard that the Nazarene had
miracle working ability and thought if they could just get their friend to
Jesus perhaps He would mercifully heal him. But there was no room in the house. But these guys weren’t about to
let some brick and mortar stop them.
Up the back stairs they went, carrying their friend to the
roof on a stretcher. Then they
began to strip away the ceiling tiles.
When they had uncovered a large enough opening they lowered their friend
by ropes to where Jesus was teaching.
Seeing their faith – faith enough to do whatever it took – Jesus told
the paralyzed man to get up, pick up the stretcher and go home healed. And he did.
But what if the four friends had seen the crowd and not
tried the radical? The roof could
be repaired, but their friend might not get another chance to meet Jesus.
Are you locked into dreaming little? Sometimes the answer is on the other
side of the wall or roof. You may
just have to take some risks and punch a hole to get through.
By the way, the wife in the couple who opened their home so
many years ago has recently learned that she has advanced cancer. The doctors have given her weeks to
live. Should she meet her Savior
sooner than later, I wonder if someone up there will introduce her to the four
in Capernaum who loved their friend enough to tear a whole in the roof. If so, I’m sure some high fives will be
exchanged.
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