Through the Roof to Jesus

Jesus came back to the town of Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee. Word spread fast that he was home, and so many people crowded in that the doorway itself was jammed. Jesus was teaching them God's word.

Four men came carrying a friend on a mat. Their friend was paralyzed: his body could not move, so he could not walk at all. They wanted to bring him to Jesus, but the crowd was so thick they couldn't get anywhere near.

So they had an idea. Houses there had flat roofs, with steps up the outside. The friends carried the man up onto the roof. They dug an opening right above where Jesus was. Then, carefully, they lowered their friend on his mat into the middle of the room.

Jesus looked up and saw how much faith they had. He looked at the man on the mat with a father's tenderness and forgave him all his sins.

Some teachers of the Law were sitting there. They didn't say anything out loud, but in their hearts they were troubled. They believed that only God can forgive sins, so they thought this man was claiming something that belongs to God alone.

Jesus knew what they were thinking. He put a question to them. Anyone could claim to forgive sins, since no one can see forgiveness happen. But telling a man who can't move to stand up? Everyone would see at once whether it worked. So Jesus would show them, with something everyone could see, that he truly can forgive sins.

Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and told him he could stand up now and carry his own mat home.

And the man did! With everyone watching, he jumped up, rolled up his mat and headed home on his own two feet. The whole crowd burst into praise of God. It was the most amazing thing they had ever seen.

The teachers were right that only God can forgive sins. That is exactly the point: Jesus is God's Son. He healed the man's body, but first he healed his soul. Jesus still forgives our sins today, through the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.