What Are Those People Doing Up on the Roof?

Where is the watch?

“Don’t they have a watchman here?” I asked James.

Watchman?

The man in front of us turned around and glared. “Capernaum is a law-obedient town. We do not need watchmen. Go to the cities if you want to see one.”

“But, but,” I faltered, “someone must stop those people on the roof. Look! They dragged up a litter, and there’s a man on it!”

“Hush. I’ve had enough of your bleating.”

James was cross.

“But James,” I tried, but he scowled at me.

“Does it look as if anyone here is worried? Does it now?” James chastised me, not lowering his voice.

I looked around, but everyone stared at the men on the roof.

James and I had arrived too late at the house where Jesus was teaching. There was no place inside, and we were standing outside. I walked around the house and saw four men carrying a paralytic on a litter.

The men dragged the litter up the steps, the “clack-clack” as it bumped over each step, echoing through the silence. When they reached the top of the stairs, they lowered the litter near the edge of the roof. They picked up the roof tiles and placed them aside. I hoped none would fall off the roof, as these tiles are made from mud and would break easily.

The hole was big enough now. They tied some string around the four posts, placed the litter over the hole, and slowly lowered it. The paralyzed man came to rest right in front of Jesus.

I ran back to stand with James.

The man who had reprimanded me before once again turned around.

“Young man,” he said sternly. “The man on the litter is my son. He has been paralyzed since birth. The four men with him and carrying him; two are my other sons, and two are his friends. “

“Why don’t you just keep quiet and see if this Jesus everyone talks about can do something for my boy?”

I had to see what was happening! I pushed through the crowd until I was in front of the door and sat down. Everyone could stop grumbling because I was not in the way.

When Jesus saw the faith of the four men and the paralytic, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

Then He turned to the scribes sitting there. How on earth did He know what they were thinking? But He knew they thought only God could forgive sins.

I wondered what he would say to them. All I caught was, “But that you may know the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.”

Jesus turned back to the paralytic and said –

“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

The man struggled to his knees, praising Jesus and praying. Then he got up, a little shaky. He picked up his litter and made for the door. The crowds parted as if Moses was there striking the ground like he did at the Red Sea those many years ago,

The man came face to face with his father. They were both crying and hugging, and the father said, “ Wait. “I, too, have to thank Jesus.”

People were leaving, following the paralytic who had given his litter to his brothers and was running down the road, eager to show his mother and grandmother that he was healed.

The father went into the house and fell onto his knees in front of Jesus. “Forgive me, Lord,” he said in a quiet voice. I doubted, but I no longer do. Thank you for healing my son.”

Jesus smiled that special smile, only His, and for a moment, laid his hands on the man’s head. “Go home, my friend, go home and enjoy time with your family.”

I turned to James. “What just happened here,” I demanded. He shook his head.

“If you believed, you would understand.”

The Apprentice Apostle. Based on Mark 2:3–11 NKJV

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has  power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,  “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”