She had been disappointed by a man. He had promised to love her always, and had gotten hold of all her money. Then he left her—an old, old story.
Without God, despairing, she had gone to the railroad and thrown herself in front of a train....
And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him [Jesus]. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. (Luke 5:18, 1918And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. (Luke 5:18‑19).)
This is the account of a sick man who could not come by himself to Jesus. Four faithful friends picked him up with his bed and carried him to the Lord. The way, no doubt, was difficult, and when they came to the house where Jesus was, there was no opening through the crowd for them to bring him to Jesus. But these friends found a way through the roof! There is always a way for those who want to find Jesus.
The Lord Jesus saw not only the physical condition of this man but also—what was worse by far—his sins, and He said to him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. It is of first importance to know that your sins are forgiven; it is more important even than health.
There was once a woman who had no feet, but she too came to Jesus for the healing of her soul and she loved to tell the story of God's grace.
She had been disappointed by a man. He had promised to love her always, and had gotten hold of all her money. Then he left her—an old, old story.
Without God, despairing, she had gone to the railroad and thrown herself in front of a train. After a long while, when consciousness returned, she found herself lying in the hospital. She looked around the strange room, then tried to rise. A terrible shriek burst from her, a scream of despair. Both of her legs had been cut off by the train!
For days her cries and groans rang through the hospital, and she could hardly be quieted even by sedation. A Christian nurse was given charge of her. The nurse cared for the poor woman, in a quiet way, loving her and praying for her.
At first the poor invalid would pay no attention to her, but the nurse waited on the Lord to open the way to speak to this despairing soul. The moment came at last. "Oh, my feet! My feet! Why did I wake? Why didn't I die on the track? Why? Why?" After a pause: "Now I'll never walk again, never be able to go where I want. I'll be a cripple, eternally fastened to a bed. "
The nurse came to sit by her and gently held her hand. The unhappy woman was quiet for a moment. "Where did you go when you had good feet?"
The patient looked up and said, "In the morning to work."
"And then?"
"After work I went home for my supper, and then walked the streets and met my friend... " She began to cry brokenly.
"And then?"
"Then we would go to a party."
"And then?"
She tried to raise herself and said in pain and despair, "I strayed somewhere! Anywhere! I lived on the street."
"And if you had feet today?"
She wept some more. "It was the only life I knew. But now I'll never walk again—never—never—"
The nurse gently patted her hot, feverish hand and said, "There is one way you could travel yet, and it is the best and most glorious way. If you had good feet possibly you would not think of going this way."
"What did you say, Nurse?"
Now the nurse told her of the way the man with palsy went through the roof straight to the Lord Jesus and how he had his sins forgiven.
The invalid said no more; she allowed the nurse to carry her through the roof, as it were, to Jesus. That night she could not sleep; she was thinking of the way, the only right way, that even those without feet could travel.
The next evening the nurse was on duty again. The sick one was eager to hear more of the Savior of sinners. And the nurse was glad to respond, "I came to Jesus also, and He is mine and I am His." Then the moment came when the invalid too came to Jesus saying, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."
When He [Jesus] saw their faith, He said... Thy sins are forgiven thee. Thus she also, without feet, learned to travel the way to heaven. After this, in telling her story she would say, "It is most beautiful this way, more so than wherever I have gone before."
Now she tells others how she came to Jesus without feet, and how happy she is in traveling the narrow way. And she has become a guide for many to the Savior. Though she has no feet, she has a heart for the Lord. It is cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus.
Many have good feet, but stray away from the Savior. Do you?