Healing a Paralytic

Jesus and His disciples got into a boat and crossed over the Sea of Galilee. And they came to Jesus' own town of Capernaum. 

And when the people heard that Jesus was home, they came from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea. And so, Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for Jesus to heal the sick. And the people gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room in the house, not even outside the door. 

Just then, some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to bring him inside the house, to set him before Jesus, but they could not find a way through the crowd. So, they went up on the roof. The men uncovered the roof tiles that were above Jesus, made an opening, and lowered the man on his mat into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 

When Jesus saw the faith of the men, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the scribes and Pharisees that were sitting there were thinking in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But Jesus knew in His spirit what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts? Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” 

And immediately the man stood up before them all, picked up the mat he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 

When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. And they said to each other, “We have seen remarkable things today!” And, “We have never seen anything like this!”

(See Matthew 9:1‭-‬8; Mark 2:1‭-‬12; Luke 5:17‭-‬26)

-