Sometimes its good to get different perspectives on the same Biblical event. This story is told by four different people.

JESUS HEALS A PARALYTIC

Luke 5: 17-26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATHAN

I'll never forget today as long as I live. And never forget the look on Naomi's face when Joe burst in along with the rest of us.

We hadn't dared say anything to her, or Joe for that matter, in case it all went horribly wrong.

 

We'd hatched the plan, me and the lads, over a few beers last week. Silas had heard that Jesus of Nazareth was in our area that day and he'd tagged along with the crowd. He came in full of it, how he'd seen this person healed and that person set free. We couldn't shut him up. We'd downed our beer and he'd not started his he was so busy talking. If you knew Si you'd know it had to be a pretty major event in his life if it kept him from his ale!

 

When Si mentioned that Jesus was due back again in a few days’ time Mark straight away said, “What about Joe, why don't we take Joe to him?”  I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it myself. I think I was just so used to Joe as he was I'd forgotten things could be different. .

 

“It would be so easy,” we thought. We picked Joe up every day anyway and took him up to Capernaum; we'd do exactly the same only take him to Jesus. It'd cost us a day’s wages but small price to pay.

 

Last night we heard that Jesus was on his way, the time had come. To go round to pick up Joe at the usual time this morning and pretend it was just another ordinary day was the hardest and best bit of acting I've ever done in my life. You should have seen Joe's face when we marched on past the place where we normally left him. Totally baffled is the best way to describe it. Yet we'd barely explained what we were hoping to do when it seemed our plan was doomed to fail.

 

The house Jesus was in was full to overflowing, wall to wall bodies. There was no chance of one of us getting in let alone four of us with a bed. I felt physically sick with the disappointment of it.

 

But John wasn't so easily put off. “I'm off to inspect the roof,” he said, “perhaps we can make a hole in it and get him in that way.” Within minutes he was back. “I reckon we can do it,” he said, “Are you with me lads?” And then turning to Joe he asked, “What about it Joe, are you willing to give it a try?” It was Joe's nod that convinced me. It was the craziest idea I'd heard in a long time but if Joe was willing I was in.

First we got Joe on to the roof. And if I make that sound easy it was far from it. The steps were narrow and steep and even with the two tallest at the back we nearly tipped Joe off a couple of times. But we made it!

 

We were keen to get started on the roof but Joe had seen a flaw in the plan. “What are you going to do when you've made the  hole, throw me through it?” At that all the enthusiasm drained out of me; we'd no way of lowering him down. But Mark piped up, “Leave it to me I know where to find some rope,” and he set off at a run.

 

At that Si, John and I started work. John took charge, he was a builder by trade and under his instruction we soon had a sizeable hole in the roof – much to the astonishment of everyone below. Mark was soon back with four sturdy pieces of rope (from a fisherman friend of his) and we tied it to the corners of the bed and as carefully as we could, ignoring the disapproving glances, lowered Joe down. He landed with a bump right in front of Jesus.

 

Then I think we all collectively held our breath – we'd no idea what would happen next. We didn't know if Jesus could or would heal him. He looked up at us, peering through the roof and then at Joe and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Well that was good news seeing as we'd just wrecked someone's roof, but that wasn't what we wanted, we wanted to see Joe healed. But Jesus hadn't finished, he looked straight at Joe and told him to stand up, take his bed and go home.

 

And he stood up, can you believe it, he stood up, picked up his bed, pulling off the ropes, and headed for the door. The crowds parted to let him through and we rushed outside to meet him, laughing and praising God and hugging one another.

 

The journey back to Joe's place was the happiest journey I've ever taken and the look on Naomi's face made every bit of effort worthwhile.