AFTER THOUGHTS ON THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC MAN

“My heart burned with a fire within me, and my thoughts eventually boiled over until they finally came rolling out of my mouth.” (Psalms 39:3 TPT)

We began a series on the life lessons I learned from the healing of the paralytic man about six weeks ago. I have also been teaching on that in our midweek services. While concluding on this series during our last midweek service, the Holy Spirit opened up a new stream of revelation on the subject matter to me. The stream further flowed like the river that went out of Eden that parted into four branches while listening to a message preached by Dr. Jerry Savelle in the course of the week, at a previous South West Believers Convention.

As I think and ponder intently on these new revelations, my spirit rejoices and my soul overflows with new themes. Therefore, today I crave your indulgence to share my four points afterthoughts.

1. Synergy is empowerment.

The synergy among the four friends of the paralytic man created the energy required to accomplish their goal of getting their friend healed. Synergy is power. It creates multiplied energy among teams — thereby boosting economies of scale and scope.

Not one of the four could have carried the paralytic man all alone to the roof top and down. Hear this: we are better than any one of us. Individual talent cannot accomplish what a concerted, coordinated and connected team can accomplish. I’m reminded of what Jon Gordon said in the book he co-authored —You Win in the Locker Room First. He said, “ You may not have the most talented players, but if you are a connected team you will beat many talented teams who lack a close bond.” Invariably, team beats talent when talent isn’t a team.

2. Faith sets the time for your breakthrough.

Without faith, one may have to wait indefinitely like the man by the pool of Bethesda to access his or her breakthrough. Without faith, we’re at the mercy of divine intervention or the demonstration of spiritual gifts by another believer of which we do not control.

Howbeit, our faith can set the time for our breakthrough— just like the faith of the paralytic man with his friends set the time for his healing. Also, the woman with the issue of blood set the time for her healing and wholeness by her faith.

Now is faith and faith is now says the Scripture. “NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1 emphasis mine)

Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior summarized this all important point when He said, “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:22-24)

3. The quadrant of love.

The four friends heightened my appreciation of the quadrant of love. They understood and demonstrated love in its purest form. It becomes more instructive in this age when the appreciation of our shared humanity is on the decline — much less our divine nature as people of faith.

These four friends’ action reminds me that love has a quadrant. Love has breadth, length, depth and height. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”

(Eph. 3:17-18)

In this quadrant of love, breadth determines length and depth determines height. It’s the breadth of your love that lengthens the cord of your faith— and the depth of your love heightens the degree of your breakthrough.

Let’s excel in love like Christ — even faith works by this virtue.

4. Don’t just be involved—be committed.

It’s only commitment to friendship, a noble cause or a common goal that would have motivated the four friends to defy facts, obstacles or challenges in the pursuit of solution. They weren’t just involved—they were committed.

I remember reading a didactic but metaphorical story of the roles of the hen and pig in breakfast. The hen is involved in creating eggs for breakfast— while the pig is committed. The pig sacrifices its life to create the ham and beacon we enjoy at breakfast. Commitment is all about sacrifice.

These four friends teach us a lesson on commitment. There weren’t just involved. If they were, they would have probably left their friend on his sick bed at the least resistance or challenge. Or they would have supplied all the victuals, medications or finances for their sick friend to manage the remaining days of his life. But commitment drove them to the point of exhausting all possible options— the cost notwithstanding.

I believe you’ve been blessed. Keep learning, keep yearning and keep earning. It’s a new day for you!

To learning,

✝️TCK