What Jesus Did! 'True Friends' — Matthew 9:1-3

True friends are friends that help us find Jesus and let him minister to our needs and brokenness. Like the unnamed friends in this story, we must come to realize that the best thing we can do for a friend is help that friend come to Jesus. Our faith can make a huge difference in the lives of those closest to us. What's so amazing about Jesus is that he ministers to our real need, not just our apparent need. The key is finding him, both finding him ourselves and helping others find him. He'll do the rest, working his will in our lives if we're truly willing to let him take control of our lives. Of course, he will work on what we most need, not necessarily what we most want. Unfortunately, there will always be those who will criticize us, along with Jesus, for doing his work. "It doesn't fit the way things are 'normally' done," they would accuse. "Precisely," I imagine Jesus saying, "something needs to be done differently enough to be truly redemptive. That's why I came!"