The Party Crashers

Two time Grammy winners DC Talk 

Read Luke 5:17-26  

Luke is a master storyteller.  He lets the events speak for themselves.  He’s done his homework.  He’s checked his facts.  He’s made his list and checked it twice.  He’s corroborated his account with secular events so that you can debunk the myth hypothesis.  And he leaves the conclusions to you. 

Since the launch of Jesus' ministry, the Kingdom of God is present; you know that. 

On this occasion, the Kingdom is present in the words Jesus is teaching (verse 17).  The crowd speaks for itself.  The Kingdom will be present in deed as well.  The power of God is with Jesus to heal.  It’s a double dose of the reality of God: words and deeds.  The two go hand in hand. 

And the Pharisees and teachers of the law have a front row seat.  They are there to toe the line. 

The Pharisees were not priests.  They were not Jewish clergy.  They were lay leaders, the “ruling elders” of the day.  The deacons.  The church board.  They were sincere, well-intentioned, fervent religious types who were there to prevent slippage.  They wanted to make sure God’s people stayed faithful and true, so they worked hand in hand with the scribes (the teachers), to make sure the Law wasn’t broken.  In fact, the Pharisees created a whole set of laws called the Mishnah (an early form of the Talmud) to make sure people didn’t break God’s law.  And by golly, they were going to make sure Jesus didn’t break the law either, the upstart. 

And some men show up with a plan.  They are bringing on a mat a paralyzed friend of theirs.  They are looking for a way in, but the crowd is too thick.  So they go up on the roof; they create an opening (dropping who knows what onto who knows who) and they lower their friend through the tiles right in front of Jesus.  Nice shot. 

Jesus doesn’t see the tiles that just hit him in the head.  He fails to notice their poor manners.  He misses their importunity.  What Jesus sees is their faith.  He probably got a kick out of their pluck. 

When is the last time anyone saw your faith?  When is the last time Jesus got a kick out of your pluck?  Faith acts, you see. 

The Kingdom was present then, and it is present now, in word and in deed.  These men set a great example because theirs is a faith that acts on behalf of someone else.  It’s not for themselves.  It’s not even for their synagogue.  It is for their hurting friend. 

Faith without action is no faith at all. 

A guy I know once stepped out in faith and with a handful of people put on a free evangelistic rock concert featuring Grammy Award winning artists for 6,500 people.  He also led little kids to Jesus.  He counts one as cool as the other. 

You may show your faith in big ways.  You may show your faith in little ways.  You may have done something fifteen years ago. 

Faith will show itself today, too, same as then, and sometimes before a critical audience like Jesus’ Pharisees. 

How will your faith work today?  It’s here, you know.  Right inside you.