Faith brought them--only Jesus could heal their friend.
"Please bring me to Him," he said.
So they carried him on his mat. Every now and then they had to rest, trying to find some shade in the hot, dusty streets. Finally they found the house--crowds filling the rooms of the house, crowds outside the windows and doors.
"Excuse us, this man needs Jesus' help."
"Wait, he's teaching right now."
"Go away. He doesn't want to help a cripple."
One from the crowd spat on the cripple.
"Worthless," another whispered.
"They won't let us through," one of the men said to his friend lying on the mat.
"Go to the roof, it will let you through."
Around the back of the house they found the stairs to the roof. They worked their way up the stairs with their heavy burden. Step after step.
"How are we going to get down to Him?"
"Have faith, I know He'll heal me."
They reached the top. Setting their friend down, the men set to work removing the tiles. A small space emerges from the roof--it gets larger--the people below look up.
"What are you doing? Don't you know Jesus is teaching?"
"Oh yes, that's why we're here."
"Just wait 'til He's done; don't bother him now. He's too busy."
But Jesus stopped speaking and walked over to the almost completed hole in the roof. Mutterings among the crowd spread, "What will He do?"
"Why isn't He rebuking them?"
The friends found some rope to lower the mat with. The paralyzed man lay at the feet of Jesus. He waited for Jesus to speak. Was he wrong to think Jesus would heal him? Had he heard wrong that Jesus healed any that came? He looked into Jesus' eyes, his own eyes and heart pleading, "Lord, heal me please!"
And then He spoke, "Take heart, my son."
Peace flooded over him. Jesus would heal him. But what did He say?
"Your sins are forgiven."
What? My sins! Amazing! This Jesus is greater than even I knew!
Jesus was talking with the scribes now, but he heard none of it.
I'm forgiven! My soul is healed! He knows I need more than just physical healing!
But now Jesus knelt next to him and looked into his eyes again and said, "For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise, and walk?'"
Not allowing anyone to answer--even if they had an answer--Jesus continued, "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--and Jesus looked directly at the paralytic and said--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home."
He moved his legs. He stood up. He took a step. He knelt down and picked up his bed. In a daze he walked out. The crowds parted, the mutterings began again, "How can he do that?"
"Look, the man is walking!"
He had to find his friends. His friends! They had brought him to the roof. He ran to those stairs his friends had carried him up. There they were, putting the tiles back in place. He paused, hearing them talk, "How amazing, he just got up and walked out."
The healed man walked up behind them, "He forgave my sins!"
