Acts of Faith Becoming Hope for the Living
Good Morning Friends,
“Show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works.” This passage from James is demonstrated in today’s scripture story from Mark 2. In this story of the paraplegic and his friends, Jesus makes it clear that not only does He forgive our sins but He also heals our physical and mental ills as well. That is hope. He answers our prayers that have feet. Take note that Jesus was impressed to action by the love and belief of not the paraplegic but the four friends who had carried him up on the roof, removed the beams and lowered their friend on a stretcher before Jesus. Jesus saw their faith. He saw their determination. He saw their concern. He saw how their faith led them to put forth effort. And it would have been easy to have overlooked their motive. Can you imagine what a distraction this was for the crowd jammed inside the house? Can you imagine the look of Simon Peter, who grew up there on the Sea of Galilee, as the roof of this home he knew came off and the sun shone through? Imagine for a minute being there as these desperate men dismantled the beams and boards of the roof above you and the packed earth sealing the roof rained down on you. At that moment you may not have been moved to think about the faith of these four men … but Jesus was moved by this faith made tangible through actions. He was looking for this act of faith then and is looking for it today in you and me as well. He is calling us to put forth effort in each small act with the promise that we will get results. Yes, when we begin to tackle a thing that seems impossible remember that He came so that we would have life and the life abundant. He came, as the friends, demonstrating and encouraging examples of Acts of Faith Becoming
Hope for the Living.
Scripture: When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’
Mark 2:1-12 (NRSV)
But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
James 2:18 (NRSV)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice,* even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials,
1 Peter 1:3-6 (NRSV)
Message: There is living power in hope because born into it is a hope for the living. It is a power that can equip us in times of stress and worry to act collectively in full confidence trusting in the power of Jesus Christ. No it does not exempt us from life’s tribulations yet it does give us a renewal of life as a foretaste of the glory to come. Basically hope is the ability to see a path to the future we desire. Living in the light of this hope helps us to experience life victoriously. It is not just a future hope but a living hope right now in the present. It never runs dry because it is connected to the stream of holy history that God is willing into existence. It is the source of our new birth…the heart of healing and an expression of the profound human need to believe that there is a possibility to reach a future that is better than the one in the present. It never dies because it realizes that what God has is ours right now. It is a faith put into action resulting in a joy independent of circumstances. Here we find hope even in our suffering. Here we refuse to become bitter. Here we wait patiently for the priceless lessons of grace. Here we realize that distress is only for a season. Here it is not what we do but what our friends do that activates our hope in Christ and this does not disappoint.
Pray we see light despite all the darkness. Pray we accept the limits of disappointment even as we believe in a limitless supply of hope. Pray we learn from yesterday, live in enjoyment of today and hope for a wonderful tomorrow. Pray we understand that hope helps us to bear the difficult now even though the results of what we hope for has yet to be realized. Pray we have the courage to believe our dreams can become a reality if we work hard. Pray our courage multiplies the courage in others. Pray we love the work we do and work with love for the life we hope for. Pray we let our hopes shape us into the likeness of Christ. Pray we have the hope of new mercies each day. Pray we make our faith visible for a watching world. Pray we persevere in prayer believing that it can produce miracles as a demonstration of our faith. Pray we keep our hope fixed on God’s purpose.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 