art is
turned toward him.

"Are you full of fears and worries? Come unto me, all of you that are
burdened in spirit, and I will give you rest."

There were many outside the house who could not get in because there was
no room. Among them were four men carrying a stretcher. On it lay a man
who was helpless from paralysis. His body had wasted away to skin and
bone. His four friends had heard about Jesus' power, but now they stood
in front of the house in dismay.

"We can never get in," said one.

"There's no use waiting until they leave," said another.

"Let's take him back," said the first, discouraged.

"No indeed!" The others were determined. "I am sure he will be healed
if we can just find some way to get through," said one of them.

The fourth man was gazing at a staircase that led up to the roof of the
house next to Simon's home.

"Look! Why can't we get in that way?"

In a moment the men had climbed the stairs and stepped across the narrow
space that separated them from the roof of Simon's house. On the porch
under them, they could hear Jesus talking. It took about fifteen minutes
to lift the tile from the porch roof, tie ropes to the stretcher, and
lower the man toward Jesus.

Everybody stared as the paralyzed man slowly came to rest at the feet of
Jesus.

"My son!" Jesus' voice could be clearly heard in the hush of the
courtyard. "Your sins are forgiven."

The statement took everyone by surprise. Andrew saw a scribe whisper to
a friend.

"Did you hear what he said?" remarked the scribe whom Andrew was
watching. His friend nodded.

A woman who knew the sick man said: "Is this man paralyzed because he
sinned? He was born this way, wasn't he?"

"He has been a very good man," answered her husband.

Jesus turned to the scribes and Pharisees. "Why are you wondering about
what I said? Tell me which is easier, to say to this man, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'?"

None tried to speak. Then Jesus said, "'But that you may know that the
Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins'"--he turned to the
sick man--"Get up! Pick up your bed and carry it away!"

Strength surged into the wasted frame of the paralytic. He rose and did
as Jesus told him. A whisper ran over the crowd.

The Pharisees and scribes sat silent. Watching them carefully, Simon saw
that they were puzzled. An elderly man, who appeared to be a leader,
whispered to a friend, "He actually cl