“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralytic—I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” (Mark 2:9-11, ESV).

Jesus was at His home in Capernaum (the base for His ministry) where many people were gathered listening to Him teach and preach. Four men carrying a paralytic man tried to bring him to Jesus for healing, but they were unable to get the disabled man near Jesus because there was no more room in the house. Then, they went up on the roof and removed some of the clay roof tiles (see Luke 5:19) and hoisted the paralytic man down near Jesus. 

Jesus was impressed by the men’s faith and act of compassion and told the disabled man he should stand up and walk because his sins were forgiven. Some of the scribes were shocked by this response. It seems they were not as much surprised by the miracle of healing as they were that Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven!

A paralyzed man being let down through the roof of a house in front of Jesus certainly has lots of dramatic effect as does his miraculous healing: “And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'” (vs. 12). But, what’s really spectacular about this story is that Jesus reveals what His real intentions are. Although Jesus can certainly heal people, taking away people’s sin is His main mission, His first priority!

And, He’s still on the same mission today. So, before Jesus heals you from your physical or psychological problems, He needs to deliver you from your sin problem first!

Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)