Last Friday, as I was surfing the net, I came across a news report that caught my attention. It was about a 43 year old man, a Father of four young children, the well-loved soccer coach, a Real Estate Agent, well respected in not only in his church where he served as a Deacon, but also within his community. Pretty normal when you think of things right? So what was it exactly that caught my attention? Well, it was the fact that this same man was now deemed as a “Suspected Bank Robber”.
He walked into the bank, and held two employees at gun point, and after a 90 minute standoff with the Police, he finally let the hostages go, and then gave himself up.
He had no criminal record, people within the community called him, “a model citizen”, his sister said that this was, “so out of character”, and his Pastor, who stood next to him in the court room stated that he is, “one of the best father’s I know anywhere”. When the man was asked why he committed the crime, he stated that he had, “never stolen anything before, but was having great financial difficulties, and that he was desperate”.
We are living in some desperate times in 2009. Homes are foreclosing by the hour, the stock market is fluctuating daily, money is running out before month, people are losing their jobs after years of dedication to their companies, and we are being driven to our breaking point, and in these desperate times, people are responding with desperate measures! So many have now reached the point of not knowing what to do, maybe you are there right now, well… what do we do?
This situation of desperation, reminds me of one of the stories told in the Gospel of Mark, (2:1-12). Jesus just comes back to Capernaum, He goes to rest at home, but naturally, the crowd follows him, and it gets so big, that there is no room in the house, or even outside of the house. Everyone wants to hear what Jesus has to say, and some even want a healing.
So the scene is set, these four guys come along, and they are carrying their buddy because he was paralyzed! No matter which way they try, they cannot get into the house! They try pushing through the crowds—it didn’t work, they try the front door, back door, but nothing seems to work for them. This is their moment of desperation. When would Jesus ever come back that way again? Would there ever be another opportunity? These men desperately wanted to see their friend restored back to full health!
Desperate times, call for desperate measures, and so in an instant, they devise a plan! They get up on the roof of the house where Jesus is, and they start tearing up the roof, until a hole appears, and they lower their best buddy down on a mat, and into the presence of Jesus!
My point? Desperate times, do call for desperate measures…“JESUS Measures”!
Lower yourself into the presence of Jesus, He will see your faith, and He will bless, in His perfect timing!
