Friends Bring a Paralysed Man to Jesus

Jesus crossed the lake and came to his own city. Soon a great crowd gathered where he was, so full that people could not get in, not even at the door. Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees, scribes, and teachers of the law were there listening too.

Some men arrived carrying a paralysed man on his mat. Matthew tells us they brought him to Jesus. Mark says there were four of them. But the crowd blocked the way, so they went up onto the house, opened the roof above Jesus, and lowered the man down into the middle of the room.

When Jesus saw their faith, he spoke first to the man, not about walking, but about forgiveness. He said the man's sins were forgiven. Some of the scribes, and in Luke also the Pharisees, objected in their hearts. They thought Jesus was speaking wrongly, because only God can forgive sins.

Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked why they had such thoughts in their hearts. Then he asked which was easier to say: that sins are forgiven, or to tell the paralysed man to get up and walk. Jesus said he wanted them to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

Then Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his mat, and go home. At once the man stood up before them all, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. The crowds were amazed and full of awe. They glorified God for what they had seen.