Mark 2:2-12

² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Forgiveness and Healing

This passage tells us about Jesus healing a paralyzed man. When the friends who carried this man came to the house where Jesus was ministering, they found it jam-packed and impossible to enter via the door. Being relentless in their intent to encounter Jesus, they broke open the roof and lowered the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. Responding to this act of faith, Jesus healed the man. As with many of his miracles, Jesus used this healing to teach some deeper truths.

First let us examine the actions of the men who carried the man. They heard about Jesus and his healing miracles and by faith brought their friend to Jesus. Seeing the crowd and the situation, most men would have given up and turned back, but not these friends. They pressed on in faith and took radical action to get an audience with Jesus. This teaches us that we should not be deterred by the circumstances but should persist in our faith. We can carry our friends/family who are afflicted by illness or other challenges to Jesus through our intercession and prayers. Today we do not need to break roofs to enter the presence of God but can boldly enter the throne of his grace to receive mercy and help in our times of need.

Any other person would have been angry or upset with the drastic actions of these men, but not Jesus. He marveled at their faith and went on to heal the man without hesitation. God honors our faith and is pleased with it. We read of many instances in the Bible where Jesus commends people for their faith or rebukes them for their lack of it. Faith is expressed in action and is clearly visible in this incident and also in the healing of the woman who pressed though the crowds to touch Jesus. (Mark 5)

Faith is also expressed through words (demonstrating trust in God’s power, mercy, and goodness) as we read in the story of the centurion (Mathew 8) and the Syrophoenician woman. (Mark 7) In both these cases Jesus commended their great faith.

Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven before he healed him. This caused a stir among the religious elite, who questioned in their heart his authority to forgive sins. Throughout Scripture we see Jesus showing willingness to heal the sick in different ways. Not all sickness is associated with sin, though in several Scriptures we see them cited together. Here are some thoughts on why Jesus first forgave the man and then healed him.

By forgiving the man’s sins and physical healing him, Jesus is openly declaring his divinity and deity. The teachers of the law obviously got the message which is why they reasoned in their hearts: “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v. 7)

In those days it was common to attribute sickness to sin. Perhaps this man was condemned either by his own sinful actions and/or by the taunts of others. He was not only paralyzed physically but also spiritually, bound by guilt, shame, and condemnation. Imagine the freedom and respite he felt on hearing the sweet words from the Savior. This wonderful healing of his soul and the lifting of the burden must have opened his spirit to receive physical healing. The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk in the spirit and not after the flesh.

The other truth Jesus is probably conveying is that forgiveness of sins and a relationship with the Father is a greater miracle than any healing. The same is stressed in Luke 10:20, where Jesus exhorts his disciples that their joy should be their salvation (names written in heaven) rather than healing the sick and casting out demons. So overflowing is God’s kindness toward us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved (Ephesians 1:7 paraphrase).

Oh what a loving and merciful Father we have! What a great salvation!

Prayer: Praise the Lord, my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. (Psalm 103:2, paraphrase)