Now, That's What I Call True Friends!

Crowds often gathered around Jesus. This story in Mark's gospel tells of a paralysed man who had no strength of his own but he had four of the best friends anyone could have — they were determined to get him to meet Jesus. On that occasion it seemed impossible for them to get to Jesus but they managed to get him down through the roof — even if it meant that they would later have to repair the roof of the house where Jesus was, surrounded by a crowd of people. I wonder what the paralysed man's friends thought when Jesus, instead of immediately healing the man of his illness, said to him "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Verse 5). Maybe the friends were thinking, 'Jesus, just heal our poor friend. That's why we brought him to you'. Of course Jesus knew that, but he dealt with first things first. We can't see inside the heart of the paralysed man but Jesus did, and so he dealt first of all with what was worrying him most — his sin. Then he healed the man of his paralysis, so the man and his friends could go home to live a new life.

As the forgiven and healed man left there were some in the room who became angry with Jesus for claiming to forgive a person's sin. But Jesus showed his authority, in not only having power to heal but also to forgive.

Thank God that Jesus still has that power. Whatever our outward circumstances may be, remember Jesus deals with first things first — he wants to cleanse us from our sins before anything else .