Healing of the Paralytic

Jesus entered into the city of Capernaum. People heard that would be teaching at a certain house, and soon there was such a crowd in the house no one else could enter. He began to preach to them.

In that city was a man who was sick of the palsy. This means he was paralyzed and some parts of his body would not move. It seems as if his legs were affected because he was brought to the house by four of his friends. They tried to go in the door, but of course they couldn't get in because of the crowd around the door.

What could they do? They were sure if they could get their friend to Jesus, he could be made well. They took him up onto the roof of the house. Many roofs in that area had flat roofs and people could go up on top of the house. The roof was made of tiles.

People heard a noise on the roof and probably some began to look up to see what was happening. The men were pulling off the tiles until they had made a very large hole in the roof, large enough to let their friend's bed down into the room right in front of the Master!

Jesus saw the great faith of the man's friends. They were sure Jesus could help.

Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

The religious rulers were thinking, but not saying out loud, "How can this man forgive sins? Only God can forgive sins. This is blasphemy!" Blasphemy means disrespecting God.

Even though they didn't say the words out loud, Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Which is easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven" or 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'." The easier thing to say would be "Your sins are forgiven" because they couldn't verify whether the man's sins had been forgiven or not. If Jesus had first said, "Take up your bed and walk", the men could have seen with their own eyes whether the man could walk or not.

Jesus said, "So that you will know that the Son of man has power to forgive sins..." then he turned to the sick man and said "Take up your bed and walk" and the man did just that! He picked up his bed and Jesus told him to go to his own house.

Can't you imagine how people cleared a path for the man to make his way out the door to go to his house. They were all amazed and praised God saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

`The paralyzed man's friends bring him to Jesus, but they cannot get into the house because it is so crowded. What shall they do? A tall policeman guards the door.

"Too many people in this house already!"

The policeman is 9 feet tall with a pet cat on the hat which is on his head. The cat is colored calico; orange, black, and white. The cat goes everywhere with the policeman, kinda curls up around the top of his hat brim. Nice and cozy. (Remember, a cat has 9 lives.)

The policeman wears 2 badges on his chest, one on each side of his shirt.

He wears not one, but 5 pearl-handled revolvers stuffed in 5 leather holsters around his waist. Loaded for bear!


The men are not stopped by this tall policeman who holds one arm straight out. They take their friend to the top of the house, tear a hole in the roof, and lower him by ropes.

Jesus honors their faith and love and heals their friend - plus- forgives his sins.

Miracles 3-7 are in the spring of the second year of Jesus' ministry.

head+9 = Matthew 9
chest+2 = Mark 2
waist+5 = Luke 5
(9250)
This zip code means the account is found in the 9th chapter of Matthew (9), the 2nd chapter of Mark (2), and the 5th chapter of Luke (5), but is not found in John (0)

(Remember this hook)

• Head = Matthew
• Arms = Mark
• Waist = Luke
• Feet = John