Many ‘remarkable things’ happened that day (v 26). The fact that Pharisees and teachers ‘had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem’ (v 17) and that Jesus preached to a full house (v 19) suggests that remarkable stories about Jesus were already ‘going viral’. 

A group of men go to remarkable lengths to bring their needy friend to Jesus (vs 18,19). We sometimes speak of praise that raises the roof; here is faith that removed parts of the roof! Jesus acknowledges their remarkable faith and responds with a pronouncement that is both remarkable and controversial: ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’ (v 20). With remarkable insight, Jesus recognises the silent storm of protest that is brewing (vs 21–23). As he looks at this man, who has been brought to him through a hole in the roof, Jesus sees beyond the obvious ‘hole’ in the man’s body to the void deep in his soul. Then he makes the man whole, body and soul. A remarkable claim about authority to forgive sins is backed by a remarkable sign (vs 24,25), the visible sign of physical healing validating the invisible spiritual healing.

‘Remarkable things’ are things worth remarking on! People are amazed and God is praised (v 26). Another story would soon ‘go viral’!

Lord, please free me from the traps of independence and codependence and teach me the beauty of dependence on you and healthy interdependence with others.

In contrast to the man with leprosy in the previous story, who is socially isolated, the paralysed man in this episode has many supportive friends determined to bring him before Jesus. The crowd is so thick that they must take their friend up to the roof and lower him down in front of Jesus. Houses often had flat roofs made of mud mixed with straw, so they would have been able to take apart a section large enough to do this. It is not the paralysed man’s faith that impresses Jesus but the faith of his friends.

Jesus first tells him his sins are forgiven – and to underscore his authority to do this, he also heals him physically. This is a clear reference to Jesus’ divinity, emphasised by the accusation of blasphemy (v 21). The onlookers are first angry at Jesus’ presumption about forgiving sins and then amazed at the remarkable healing. Jesus knows what this man truly needs and he focuses on his multifaceted needs, indifferent to the opinions of his observers.

Our faith affects others, for better or worse. Perhaps this paralysed man has lost hope and needs his friends to believe for him and bring him before Jesus. This might explain why his first need is forgiveness, rather than physical healing. The story illustrates the power of spiritual community. All of us reach points where we struggle to continue to believe and cannot bring ourselves before God’s loving presence. At these times we need faithful friends around us, who can believe on our behalf and exercise their faith to bring us near to Jesus again. He stands ready to forgive and to heal, but it is encouraging to be surrounded by people who can help position us to receive all that we need.

Isolation and individualism block us from the protection and help of spiritual friendships. To whom in your life can you look for help? To whom can you offer it?