Editorial
 
If You Must Be Saved
 

A Bible Convention and healing services were taking place in November last at Pathanamthitta. As I was praying for the volunteers and organisers at the end of the first day, one of the volunteers said, "Father, please pray for the lady seated on that chair. She has been paralysed for fourteen years. For the last six years she has not walked at all. She cannot come tomorrow." I went close to the chair. Lizzy, a housewife, had no strength even to look up at me. She was not able even to move her limbs. We told her to praise God for all her sufferings, to surrender all of them in union with the cross of Jesus and to forgive unconditionally all who had hurt her. And then we began praying. I told her in the name of the Lord Jesus, to get up and walk. She at once stood up slowly and then walked briskly. The volunteer, who had brought her, burst out weeping loudly and praising God with great joy. What came to my mind at that moment was St Mark's Gospel chapter 2, verses 1-12-the incident of Jesus healing the paralytic.

How did this paralytic get healed? Perhaps he had not even heard of Jesus. But those who knew Jesus and heard he was here in this house, put aside their own work and brought this man, who needed help, to Jesus. When they saw the crowd at the doorway, it was certain they could not hope to enter in. But they did not lose courage. Using their initiative, they climbed on to the roof, dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. There never was a thought about the dire consequences of dismantling another man's housetop. They had only one aim. To take the paralytic to Jesus. Jesus saw their sweat, their tears and their faith. The faith of one and the evangelisation that results from it, could bring about remission of sin and healing of another. Jesus saw not only the paralytic but also the benefactors. We read in St Mark's Gospel, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven ...I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home'. And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them"(2:5-12).

Do we not see here evangelisation, voluntary service, the sense of sin, healing-all joining hands together? Those who ran to carry the paralytic had faith in Jesus and his mercy. Bringing another to the presence of Jesus and his experience, is the work of evangelisation. To spend time and energy, to face challenges, and to dare to put one's faith to the test, so that others may come to know Jesus, is to be a minister of the word. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. If only those who knew Jesus, would bring atleast six others to the knowledge of the Good News, the 600 crore people in this world, would come to know Jesus in this century itself. If all nations must attain salvation in Jesus by 2000, each one who knows Jesus must be ready to give him to others. By doing this, we and others receive remission of sins and eternal salvation.
 

-Editor