The Bible tells a story about a paralyzed man who had some friends with great faith. When they heard that Jesus was coming to town, they decided to go there to meet him for healing. What they did to get to Jesus is what this series is all about. 

The Scripture tells us that the place was crowded when they arrived, making it impossible for them to get to Jesus. Watch this! They “went up on the roof and lowered him on this mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” (Luke 5:19)

Now, that is what we call desperate faith.

This story differs from the others because this man got healed because of his friends’ faith (verse 20) and their strategies. This man had the type of friends everyone should long for. Compared to other stories, this miracle happened because a group of people believed it was possible.

I love this story because it gives me a better perspective on the types of friends I need in my life. We all need friends who can pray for us and hold our hands when we are in need. We need friends who want to see us win wholeheartedly. We need those kinds of friends that will go the extra mile for us as we would do for them. And if we are honest with ourselves, it should be a goal for us all.

In previous stories, we admired the courage and resilience of both the woman with the issue of blood and the Canaanite woman. In this story, we can add that sometimes a desperate faith requires strategic thinking. I am sure other people came sick that day and wanted to get through Jesus but probably had given up because they did not know how to get through the crowd.

Their strategy is what got their faith noticed that day. They made up their mind that this man was not going back the way he came. They took desperate actions in alignment with their faith. They understood that faith without actions is dead. As a result of their faith, their friend got healed that same day.

Lesson Learned and Reflection: Who is in your circle? Do you have friends with desperate faith?

Your circle matters. It is crucial to have friends who share the same faith as yours. It is a blessing to have friends who want to see you succeed. Because one thing is guaranteed in life, you will go through hard times, and having the right people around you will matter. Let this be an example of the kind of people you need in your life. Let us also be examples of faith friends for others around us.