Luke 5:17-20

One of my favorite passages from the New Testament about hope and community is from Luke’s Gospel.

One day as (Jesus) was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some people came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take her into the house to lay her before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered her on her mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

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Did you hear the good news? Because of their faith--not her faith--she didn't have it that day--because of their faith, she was healed. Sometime we have faith and hope enough for ourselves and others, and sometimes we just don't. But that's when our community carries us. Can I hear an amen?!