Mark 2:5
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven."
The people were hungry for a savior. As Jesus's fame grew, so did the number of followers, clamoring to get near this man who gave them hope. In fact, they would take a roof off a home to get near him. There were a handful of followers who had a friend who was a paralyzed. They obviously felt compassion for him, so much so that they would lift the man onto the edge of the roof then drop him into the room where Jesus was preaching just so he could be healed. What faith they must have had! Jesus recognized this and rewarded the paralytic by healing his sins. Then he went a step further and healed him physically. For those that didn't believe Jesus could heal sins, this physical healing made them think twice.
This healing lesson shows that Jesus could not only heal the body, but also the mind, the heart and the soul. Our bodies don't always work the way they should; nor does our spirit. But Jesus lifts us from our despair, from our hopelessness and from our struggles, and shows us that miracles can happen if we have faith. Because of faith, our sins can be forgiven. However, we must do our part by turning our sins over to God. Now, will you be the person on the stretcher having others carry you to Jesus, or will you be the one carrying the sick to Jesus? I'd bet at some point in our lives, we will be in both roles.
