A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
—Mark 2:1-12

~~~~~

Faith Through the Roof
By Jennifer Kane

We carried him, each step a prayer,
Our arms aching but our hope unshaken—
For the One below was more than a man.
He called Himself the Son of Man.

The crowd stood like a wall.
No path. No passage. No room at the door.
But friendship does not falter
When faith climbs higher.

Tiles cracked beneath our fingers,
Splinters of clay and courage
Fell with our prayers through the open roof.
And down he went—not into shame,
But into the gaze of Mercy.

“Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Not the words we expected,
But the words he needed.
For what good are legs
If the soul still lies paralyzed?

The scribes bristled in silence.
“Only God can forgive sin!”
And yes—yes, only God can.
But here He stood in flesh and dust,
The Son of Man with fire in His eyes.

He knew their thoughts. He knew our hearts.
He answered not just with words
But with power—healing not just muscles,
But memories, regrets, the rust of years.

“Rise. Take up your mat. Go home.”
And he did.
Feet that once knew only stillness
Now danced with grace,
But it was his soul that soared.

We left the roof broken,
But the man was whole.
And we—we were more than amazed.
We had seen forgiveness made visible.
We had seen God
In the hands of the Son of Man.

~~~~~

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, the crowd packed the house so tightly that there wasn’t even room near the door. The people came hungry to hear Him, and “He preached the word to them.” In a time when many saw Him primarily as a miracle-worker, Jesus never lost sight of His mission: to speak the truth of God and call hearts to repentance.

Into this crowded, bustling house came a most unexpected interruption—four men tearing open the roof to lower their paralyzed friend down to Jesus. What a picture of determined, creative, burden-bearing faith! They would not let the crowd, the structure, or the risk of embarrassment stop them. Jesus saw their faith—not just the faith of the man on the mat, but the collective faith of all five—and responded in an unexpected way: “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

We might have shouted, “Wait, that’s not why we came! He can’t walk!” But Jesus, in divine wisdom, went deeper. What good would physical healing be if the man’s soul remained bound by sin? In this moment, Jesus revealed the heart of the gospel: our greatest need is forgiveness, and He alone has the power and authority to meet that need.

The scribes thought, “This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”—and they were right. But they failed to see that God was standing right in front of them.

To prove His authority, Jesus did the visible miracle: “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And the man did. Immediately.

In an instant, Jesus proved He was not just a compassionate healer, but God in the flesh—the only One who can heal the soul and restore the body.

Faith can be seen. The friends’ determination showed that faith is more than belief—it’s action that pushes past obstacles to reach Jesus.

Forgiveness is the greatest miracle. Healing is beautiful, but only forgiveness changes our eternal future.

Jesus knows our deepest need. When we bring our problems to Him, He goes to the root, not just the symptom.

Jesus has full authority. He doesn’t need permission. He reads hearts, forgives sins, and speaks healing—and it happens.

Glory follows grace. The people glorified God because they saw undeniable proof of His presence.

Are you bringing your deepest needs to Jesus, or just the surface ones? Do you trust Him to address what you really need—even if it’s not what you were hoping for?

Like the friends on the roof, who can you carry to Jesus today through prayer or encouragement?

~~~~~

Lord Jesus,Thank You for seeing past the surface and reaching my deepest need. You alone have the power to forgive my sin and bring healing into every area of my life. Increase my faith to press through every obstacle to get to You. Help me carry others to You in love and trust. I glorify You for who You are—the Son of Man with authority on earth to forgive and to heal. Amen.

July 25 2025