David Bahn – Reflections

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, ² and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

¹² While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ¹³ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ¹⁵ But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

¹⁷ On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. ¹⁸ And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, ¹⁹ but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. ²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ²² When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. ²⁶ And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

I’ve carried bundles of shingles up ladders to roof a house. It was hard work. I don’t envy those who have that hard job. Every time I see roofers today, I remember the burden, heat, sore back, and knees. I notice the foam pads they use as they work. And I don’t blame them.

Roofing in Jesus’ day was much different. The roofs were flat, made of mud and thatch, small twigs with wooden beams, reeds and straw. In this case it was a tile roof (see v. 19). It would be a challenge to open a hole in a roof today. But in Jesus’ day it was much easier.

Easier, however, doesn’t mean appropriate or a welcome alteration to one’s house. The hole might have been easily made and easily fixed. But it was still likely an unwelcome intrusion.

There is no mention, however, of the homeowner’s annoyance. The Pharisees, though, were upset. The paralyzed man was let down through the roof. The Pharisees went through the roof in anger. For them it wasn’t about the hole in the roof or the interruption to Jesus’ teachings. It was about Jesus’ absolution of this man’s sins. Only God can do that. True. And Jesus is God in the flesh.

Maybe they didn’t want the man to have what they thought to be a false hope. Likely they thought he needed to make his confession to the priest, offer the appropriate sacrifice, and pay the necessary offering to be forgiven. Certainly they knew that if Jesus’ teachings caught on they would lose power and influence.

But the man walked away(!) forgiven(!!). Jesus can do that. He can heal diseases. He will confound the prideful and lift up the lowly. He will pay the price for doing that. The proud and mighty will put him to death. But Jesus will rise, and those who put their hope in him and his love will never be put to shame.