Who can we bring to Jesus?

“Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, those who could not speak, and many others. They put them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them.” – Matthew 15:30

When I read this scripture, I was immediately catapulted back into time, thrown into an image of Jesus surrounded by a great crowd of people.

All around him, people desperate for healing.
All around him, people desperate for hope.
All around him, people desperate for freedom.

Then, I imagined the people experiencing the healing ministry of Jesus, and:

I heard the cries of joy.
I saw the dances of jubilee.
I marveled at the fog cleared from eyes previously blind.
I cried at the sound of voices released into freedom.

And then, all of a sudden, I felt a question rising in my spirit.

 “Who can we bring to Jesus?”

You know, it isn’t surprising that humanity hasn’t changed much since Jesus walked the earth. We still live in a humanity teeming with brokenness and completely unaware of the Divine in the chaos.

To me, it feels like walking on a tightrope at times. On one end, there is faith in humanity and on the other end, there is faith in the divinity of Christ.  As novices we walk between the two sides, teetering, tottering, and sometimes falling, but all of the time crying out, “Lord, SAVE ME!”

And true to who He is, Jesus catches us, saying, ”Stop jumping on that tightrope and STAY AT MY FEET. Don’t you know that it is at My feet where faith grows, the fog is cleared, miracles happen, and freedom is released?”

So, who CAN we bring to Jesus?”

The scripture mentions that the lame, the blind, the mute, the crippled, and many others were BROUGHT to Jesus. They weren’t just brought into the general vicinity. They didn’t find themselves there by accident. No, they were PUT at his feet and then healed.

Immediately, I envision friends bringing friends.

I envision mothers and fathers bringing sick children.

I envision brothers and sisters bringing parents.

I envision friends rallying up everyone in their circle, yelling,

“Salvation is here! Salvation is here! Come and see Christ, the Messiah, He is here at last! Finally, all of our hopes are fulfilled! Salvation is here! Let’s go, all our lives are found today! Run with me, by His very touch we can be healed! He is here! Lets GO!”

And then I see this cord, this thread, weaving through everyone, binding and CONNECTING everyone together in perfect unity. And I realize that this cord, this thread is one of…

Relationship.

Friendship.

Kindredness.

They knew each other!  They were friends, relatives….simply put, they were friends.

In light of this, the the question changes. It is no longer, “Who can I bring to Jesus?”  but,

“Who can I bring WITH me to Jesus?”

I leave you with this question and a prayer challenge.

1. Ask God the question, “Who can I bring with me to Jesus?”

***** Listen for 5 minutes…wait and allow the Lord to answer.

2. Begin to pray for the person or persons the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

3. Pray for genuine friendships to be cultivated.

4. Pray that God give you opportunities to share of your walk with Jesus.

6. Finally, pray that God gives you the courage to invite them to church and that He will prepare their hearts for your invitation.

God,

Bless every new friendship of ours. Let our hearts be bound in Christian love. Let our fellowship be kindred in spirit. And, let us run with each other to the feet of Jesus, Your Son, who ministers to our EVERY need. Amen.