Verses: 2-5
Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven."
My Thoughts: The news of Jesus healing people was spreading rapidly. So much so, large crowds gathered wherever he was. In these passages, we see four healthy men carry a paralyzed man up onto the roof of the house where Jesus was, because the house was packed with people. They then tore a hole in the roof in order to lower the paralyzed man down in front of Jesus. I wonder about these four men, whom Jesus saw such great faith in. Were they friends of the paralyzed man or had they seen the man outside and decided to help him? I can see them first trying to get him through the front door to no avail. Then one of them saying, “maybe there’s a way to get through on the roof. Another says, “Here you grab his feet and I’ll take his head, while you two take his sides.” Then watching them maneuver him up the stairs on the side of the building and onto the roof. As they get on the roof, another says, “There’s no access up here” and another saying, “We’ll just have to dig a hole!” I then imagine being inside and seeing dust and debris falling from the ceiling, light shining through, and then a man coming down through the hole. All eyes are then fixed on Jesus. What will He say and what will He do? What Jesus does say amazes me.
Jesus says, “My child....” He addresses this paralyzed, grown man as if this man was His own son! There is so much meaning here in these two words, which most reading don’t notice, but I can imagine most in this crowd did, including the religious teachers who immediately began to complain. This was a clear declaration by Jesus that He was God and in this culture, most if not all picked up on. As if to emphasize this statement, he does not heal the man, but says, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus, knowing the religious teachers thoughts, then becomes their teacher and declares Himself to be the Son of man in direct reference to the immaculate conception: “And God became flesh.” (John 1:14). It is at this point, Jesus turns the crowds attention back onto the paralyzed man and says, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” The man immediately jumps up, walks through the parting crowd, and does just that! I can then see the four men who helped him, jumping up and down on the roof and shouting out praises to God!
God did come to us in the flesh and His name is Jesus. He then bore our sins to the cross and there died in our place. He rose from the dead and is alive today still forgiving our sins and healing us. What does it take to realize this? Faith just like those four men, including the paralyzed man. Faith in Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man.
Application: Every area of my life. These passages impact my heart, soul, mind, and body.
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