Think of one person who you know, that is missing out because they don’t know Jesus. Like really know Him. They may have heard of Him, but they don’t know Him. But seriously, stop, take the time now and make sure you have someone in mind.

Got someone in mind? Good.

Last week I preached on 4 stories from Mark’s gospel (7:31 – 8:26) and we looked at different lives driven by what they believed to be true of Jesus. Proverbs 27:19 says “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” It’s very easy to agree with Jesus, or say we believe in Him when sitting with other believers on a Sunday morning, but what we truly believe of Him comes out as we live life. We see that those who truly believed that Jesus had power and authority, believed that He was who He said He was, their actions were driven by that belief.

In those 4 stories, we read about 2 healings. Jesus healed a deaf man (Mark 7:31-37) and a blind man (Mark 8:22-26). There is something specific about these healings that I want to draw attention to. It’s something we’ve already seen in another instance where Jesus heals a paralysed man (Mark 2:1-12). All 3 stories share some common elements – someone in need, Jesus, healing, and the people who brought the person in need.

The passion shown by the four men who bring the paralysed man to Jesus is inspiring. The have a friend in need, they know the answer (Jesus!) so they promptly take their friend to the answer. But things aren’t so straight forward. There was such a crowd they couldn’t actually get to Jesus. It would seem they couldn’t even get His attention to come outside either. For most of us, that’s a problem. This is the point when many times in my life, I give up, say I gave it a shot, and leave disappointed. Not the case with these 4. They make an opening on the roof, take the paralysed man up (who for obvious reasons can’t get up there himself), and lower him down.

You get the impression nothing was going to get in their way. They had an incredible confidence in who Jesus was and what He would do, and that belief drove their actions. No blockage was too great, no effort was too much, and they were determined to bring their friend to Jesus. Take note of verse 5 here…”When Jesus saw their faith…”. That’s what Jesus first noticed! In a crowded room, a paralysed man on a mat is lowered down through the roof, and what does Jesus notice first? The faith of those who brought him.

In the healing of the deaf man (Mark 7:31-37) and the healing of the blind man (Mark 8:22-26) we see something very similar. As Jesus enters a town, it isn’t the deaf man or the blind man who come to Him, in both cases we read that “some people brought…and…begged Jesus…”. These are people whose actions are driven by what they believe of Jesus. And they believe it’s not just for them, but for others.

As I read these stories over the last few weeks, I felt God calling me to bring people to Him. Now I may not be able to physically drag them to His feet, but I can pray. I can always pray. And when I pray, I can bring people to Jesus. I can bring family. I can bring friends. I can bring work mates. And I can beg Jesus to touch them, beg Jesus to open their eyes, beg Jesus to impact their lives, because I know what a difference Jesus makes in a life, I know what happens when someone feels His touch. Eyes are opened, lives are changed.

So, remember that person you know who doesn’t know Jesus. Bring them to Him.

Liam.