He was desperate for the job…
He had faith in his own abilities…
But he was desperate for this job…
And so he prayed…
“God I deserve this job. You know I earned it. Please get it for me.”
She was desperate for Jesus…
For twelve years no doctor had been able to stop her bleeding. She had no resources left. Her money was gone. Every healing plan she had followed had failed. Jesus was her only answer. She was desperate for Jesus.
Breaking the laws of her day that no “ceremonially unclean” person should touch anyone, she reached out in faith and touched God Himself.
Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble.” Mark 5:34
They were desperate for Jesus…
Their friend was paralyzed. Acting on their faith that Jesus could heal him, they carried him to Jesus.
Fighting through the crowds around the house where Jesus was teaching, they realized they could never reach him through the door.
Climbing a ladder to the roof, they lowered the man into the middle of the crowd around Jesus, so that Jesus would heal their friend’s body.
Instead He healed their friend’s real sickness…The sickness of his soul…
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20
Can you imagine what the paralyzed man must have thought? Jesus, for whom he was so desperate, Jesus, Almighty God in human form, had called him “Friend” and forgiven his sins.
Then to demonstrate to doubters in the crowd that he could forgive sins, Jesus healed the man’s body…
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 Luke 5:24-25
He got the Job…
“Thanks for your help, God”, He prayed. “I was awesome!” And he went home thinking how great he was and bragging to his wife.
The sound ringing in his ears was the manager saying, “You’re hired”, not Jesus calling him “friend”.
The praise he couldn’t wait to share was for himself, not for Jesus saying “your sins are forgiven”.
How can we be desperate for Jesus and not the things of this world?
Through faith…
Faith in Him, not in ourselves or the gifts He gives us..
Faith in Him alone…
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
