Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man,
"My child, your sins are forgiven."
Mark 2:5
The story of the healing of the paralyzed man in the second chapter of Mark's gospel account is one of my favorites…
"My child, your sins are forgiven."
Mark 2:5
The story of the healing of the paralyzed man in the second chapter of Mark's gospel account is one of my favorites…
It begins with four very determined men carrying their crippled friend on a mat and taking him to Jesus to be healed. Walking along the dusty roads their destination was a house in the city of Capernaum where Jesus was said to be performing miracles. To these unnamed men the Lord was their friend's only hope.
But to their disappointment, when they finally reached the house they found it was filled with people, and there were probably crowds around the house as well, everyone waiting their turn to meet this miracle worker whom many were already convinced was the Messiah.
Mulling over the situation, they had to figure out a way to get their friend to Jesus. But then the answer came. "Why don't we go through the roof?" And that's just what they did. They carried their friend up to the roof and desperately began to break the roof apart.
I could only wonder what those who were inside the packed house began to think when dust, dirt, hay and pieces of wood began to drop down onto their heads as the hole above them got bigger. Then from above came the crippled man. His friends were slowly lowering him to where Jesus stood.
And in what may have been a brief moment of time, Jesus not only pronounced this man fully healed, but his sins were forgiven as well. The religious rulers voiced their disapproval immediately. "How dare he forgive this man!" while totally ignoring the miraculous healing they just witnessed.
In any event, the man who was paralyzed was now made whole. He was carried to Messiah Jesus by his loving friends. But now he could walk home on his own. And as a bonus, his sins were forgiven as well.
This was a wonderful story. But I cannot help but think of the owners of the house who now had to deal with a big hole in their roof. Did their neighbors help to repair it? Or did Jesus and his disciples stay around afterwards to repair it? After all, the Lord was a carpenter by trade. If not, I hope they had homeowner’s insurance.
D. B.
Note: If you have not seen The Chosen Series, the end of Season 1, Episode 6
(Indescribable Compassion) is a wonderful portrayal of the story above.
Download The Chosen App for Apple, or Android.
But to their disappointment, when they finally reached the house they found it was filled with people, and there were probably crowds around the house as well, everyone waiting their turn to meet this miracle worker whom many were already convinced was the Messiah.
Mulling over the situation, they had to figure out a way to get their friend to Jesus. But then the answer came. "Why don't we go through the roof?" And that's just what they did. They carried their friend up to the roof and desperately began to break the roof apart.
I could only wonder what those who were inside the packed house began to think when dust, dirt, hay and pieces of wood began to drop down onto their heads as the hole above them got bigger. Then from above came the crippled man. His friends were slowly lowering him to where Jesus stood.
And in what may have been a brief moment of time, Jesus not only pronounced this man fully healed, but his sins were forgiven as well. The religious rulers voiced their disapproval immediately. "How dare he forgive this man!" while totally ignoring the miraculous healing they just witnessed.
In any event, the man who was paralyzed was now made whole. He was carried to Messiah Jesus by his loving friends. But now he could walk home on his own. And as a bonus, his sins were forgiven as well.
This was a wonderful story. But I cannot help but think of the owners of the house who now had to deal with a big hole in their roof. Did their neighbors help to repair it? Or did Jesus and his disciples stay around afterwards to repair it? After all, the Lord was a carpenter by trade. If not, I hope they had homeowner’s insurance.
D. B.
Note: If you have not seen The Chosen Series, the end of Season 1, Episode 6
(Indescribable Compassion) is a wonderful portrayal of the story above.
Download The Chosen App for Apple, or Android.
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