“And when [Jesus] returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him, because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” – Mark 2:1-5 emphasis added.
Can people see your faith? You may say that faith is an internal state of mind and therefore not visible or observable in and of itself. I’ve heard people say before “You don’t know my heart.” However, wind is also not directly visible, but we can easily tell if it is windy by observing its effects: we can see leaves rolling across the yard, trees swaying, waves blowing through a grass field. You may not be able to see wind, but you can tell how strong the wind is and what direction it is blowing by the effects it has. Mark 2 says that the men’s faith was observable. The internal state of their hearts may not have been visible, but how their faith compelled them to act was on full display. By seeing their actions, Jesus (and us today) could see their faith.
James 2:18 – “But some will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
Can people see your faith? Are your actions compelled by your faith?
Today, may your faith be on full display.
P.S. – I would recommend a book that I recently finished reading: This is Eternal Life. Many of you will know the author, Steven McPadden, the pulpit minster at Skaggs COC and former youth minister here at North Heights. Steven does an excellent job at fleshing out how our relationship with God and works of faith cannot be separated and are reliant on each other. It is easy to read and long enough to make the point without being long-winded. It is a very worth-while read. If you would like a copy, they are available on Amazon. Here is a link: https://a.co/d/8IOPAfZ