Now!

Mark 2:3-4 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.
 
ARE you a passionate person? The crippled man and his friends define “passion”. Great desire, energy and expectations propelled them through a roof to be at Jesus’ feet! How easy it would have been for them to turn away and say, “We’ll come later when Jesus is not so busy.”  Would they have returned? Or would they have thought, “One trip was too much. We tried our best.”
   The trouble with “later” is that it seldom comes. Yes, there are very good reasons to reserve a task to do later. You can plan a time to complete the project well. But stop and think. What normally happens when you say, “Later.” It usually means, “Never.” doesn’t it?
   We always have a reason to not do what we should do, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. You think about the men who carried their friend. They had several reasons to come back later. First they carried their friend up a flight of stairs outside the house to the flat roof. They next had to dig through the wood and clay and open a hole large enough to lower the man and his mat. Many in the large crowd could have said, “Stop!” and condemned them. Jesus could have said, “Stop! Don’t distract me!” But they carried, they dug and they lowered. No excuses, only faith filled their minds. What would Jesus do?
   “Later.” Was not an option for them. It apparently was not an option for the crowd that day. They all were there to see and hear Jesus. They were tired of Rome’s oppression. Would this Jesus free then? They were sick and discouraged. Would this remarkable rabbi heal them? They were longing for God’s promised Messiah. “Is Jesus the Prophesied One? We want to know now!” The gospels tell us that many would become impatient with Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24)
   Do you have a passion to go to Jesus without excuse? Does, “Later.” or, “Now.” mark your relationship with the Lord? Is something crippling you, keeping you from a firm and full commitment to go to Jesus? It’s time then to be as the man on the mat and his friends. It’s time to say, “Now, Lord Jesus, I come in faith to you.”