When the Door Is Blocked, Try the Roof

Church family:
As Jesus watches your faith, would He see perseverance or would He see you give up at the first obstacle? Imagine standing in that crowded house in Capernaum. Dust and debris begin to fall on your head. You look up, and there, silhouetted against the light streaming through a freshly dug hole in the roof, four men are lowering their paralyzed friend on ropes, right down to the feet of Jesus (Matthew 9:1-8).
Why would anyone tear open a roof? Because faith does not mistake an obstacle for God's refusal. Real faith perseveres. If we cannot leap over a barrier, we climb over it, find a way around it, or dig beneath it.
The paralyzed man’s friends were determined to bring him to Jesus and would not let the crowd stop them. One proposed a bold plan; the others helped carry it out. As they lowered their friend before Jesus, Luke writes, "when Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you'" (5:20). Their perseverance made their faith visible.
In our faith, we often wait for God to open or close a door, and Scripture supports that. Paul stayed in Ephesus because "a wide door for effective work" had opened (1 Cor. 16:9), and the Spirit once redirected him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9–10). But the paralytic's story tells a different story. Sometimes God expects us to fight through an obstacle. Following His plan does not mean every door opens easily; sometimes we must tear a closed door off its hinges, alone, or with some friends' help.
This pattern in Scripture seems deliberate. Obstacles are common in Jesus' miracles. A woman with a flow of blood pushed through a crushing crowd just to touch the edge of His robe (Luke 8:42–48). Sometimes Jesus Himself puts up obstacles. A Gentile mother pleaded for her daughter's healing, and Jesus answered that it was not right to toss the children's bread to dogs. She replied, "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table"—and He said, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” (Matt. 15:26–28). Even at Cana, He first told His mother His time had not come, then turned water into wine (John 2:1–11).
Maybe the Lord is testing the resolve of those who come to Him. Will the first obstacle stop you, or will you keep seeking Him? The paralyzed man and his friends showed their faith by refusing to turn back. Their example calls us to trust Jesus’ power to intervene, even when the way to Him seems blocked.
Most of us face barriers to a worthy goal: changing careers, launching a ministry, having a difficult conversation, or completely rewriting your life plan as a family. Whatever challenge you face, do not assume a blocked path means you must abandon the goal. Look for another way forward, and surround yourself with friends who will help you, as the paralyzed man’s friends did. Jesus sees your faith and has the power to respond in ways that reach into eternity. When the door is blocked, look to Him—and be willing to try the roof.
See you Sunday, Steve