Paralysed man. Mark 2 1-12, Matthew 9 1-8,, Luke 5 17-26.

I had been paralysed in an accident at work when I fell from a scaffold whilst working on Pontius 

Pilate 's palace.  The doctors told me that I had broken my back and that I would never walk again.  

At that time I had a wife and three young children.  With no income life had become very difficult for 

us. My wife had had to find work helping the local apothecary making up healing salves and potions. 

Her sisters and mother helped to look after the children and my brother and cousin helped to look after 

me. Our lives were full of other people and I hated having to be dependent on everyone else.  I became 

angry with God and bitter towards those around me  I could see nothing ahead of me except more of the

same . To be perfectly honest I didn't really see the point of still being alive. I was deeply depressed and

I knew I was being a nightmare to live with and care for.

The day I met Jesus had started badly.  I had not slept well the previous night and my children had been

 very noisy and boisterous as soon as they woke up. My wife informed me that there was no food in the

 house for breakfast.  The next door neighbour's dog was barking incessantly and I had a sore head.  

When my friends arrived at the door talking about a prophet who was new to town I was in a filthy 

mood and refused to speak to them.

Jonas, my longest standing friend and a man of great faith and patience, refused to listen to my protests

 and took me by both shoulders. His face was inches from mine as he leaned over my bed and said  'this

 Jesus has been healing and delivering people all over the place.  People are saying that he is the 

Messiah.  I think you should go and see him and get him to pray for you.'

'And how exactly do you propose that I do that? '. I spat back at him.  ' If you hadn't noticed I am just a 

little bit incapable of moving at the moment.'

Jonas grinned. 'already thought of that mate' he said, nodding to the other guys. At which point the four

of them grabbed hold of my bed and lifted me clean off the floor.  I shouted in protest but they payed 

no attention and started to manoeuvre me out of the house.

The daylight was blinding. I hadn't been outside in several months and I'd forgotten how hot and noisy

 it was in the streets.  As my friends marched down the high street with me slung on my mattress 

between them I was mortified that everyone was staring at me.  I was furious but completely at their 

mercy.  There was no point in complaining because they clearly weren't going to listen to me.   I lay 

back and longed for this deeply humiliating experience to be over.

As we came close to the market area of town the streets seemed to suddenly get busier.  People were 

jostling and shouting all around me and I began to feel a rising sense of panic. If I got tipped off my 

bed in this crowd I'd almost certainly be trampled underfoot.  I held onto the sides of my mattress for 

dear life and prayed that this mad venture would end soon.  All around me I could hear people talking 

about this Jesus man.  They all seemed very animated and I wondered what it was about this preacher

which had caused so much excitement.  In spite of myself I found myself wondering if he could indeed be

the Messiah as people seemed to think.

Jonas leaned in to speak to me over the noise of the crowd.  '  I dont think we are going to be able to get 

near'  he shouted.  '  Jesus is in that house over there and there are people six deep standing out in the street 

and all around the place.'

' Oh well'  I said ' We will just have to go home again'   Most of me was relieved, but I have to confess that 

a tiny part of me was a little bit disappointed.

The guys set me down on the ground and had a discussion.  I couldnt hear what they were saying, 

but the next minute I was being lifted up again and we started to push our way through the crowds

and closer to the house.   I was scared.  The press of people round me was now really overpowering and I 

was being pushed and jolted by peoples hips and arms and backs.   Next thing I knew my bed was

tipped up at a forty five degree angle and I nearly slipped right off it.  I yelled at the guys to watch what

they were doing, but they didnt seem to pay any attention.  I realised that we were climbing up some

stairs and within minutes we were on the flat roof of the house in which Jesus was preaching.

The guys set me down and I saw Jonas go back down the stairs.  He reappeared a few moments later 

carrying a pick.   I watched in horror as he began to strike the surface of the flat roof ; the noise of 

hammering drowning out the noise of the crowds in the street below.   Within minutes Jonas had made

a small hole in the roof and the other guys started to make it bigger, tearing great chunks of lath and 

plaster away with their hands.  I couldnt believe what they were doing.   This was crazy.  They were 

tearing up someone's house and I had no idea why.  It had not occurred to me what was about to happen 

next.    Jonas untied his sash and tied it to one corner of my mattress.  The other three guys did the same

and I suddenly realised that  they were going to try to drop me through the hole in the roof down into

the room below.  This was utter madness.   I started to panic. I was helpless to do anything about this 

and despite my loud protests they seemed hell bent on presenting me to Jesus some way or another.

They manoeuvred my bed over the hole in the roof.  The hole wasnt big enough at first . but after a bit 

more scraping and scratching it was finally just a fraction bigger than the size of my bed.  The guys

carefully started to lower me through the roof and I heard the shouts of the people in the room below

who were positioned to catch me as I descended towards them.    None of them looked best pleased.  

They were all covered in a liberal sprinkling of plaster and wood,  they were all having to squeeze up

against the walls to make room for me to land in the midst of them.  I was clearly a most unwelcome 

interruption.  I could feel the antipathy as I descended.

Finally my bed was on the floor and I lay helplessly looking up at my friends who were peering down

through the hole in the roof.   Jonas was grinning at me - I could happily have killed him.   I was boiling 

over with anger, I felt deeply humiliated, I was sick and tired of being helpless and at that moment I hated 

my life with a passion.   What was supposed to happen now??  How much worse could this day possibly

get?   The room was silent.  I waited for someone to speak.

' Hello there friend'  I heard a kind voice say.   I turned my head to the right and saw a young man sitting

on a mat on the floor looking at me intently.   Was this the so-called ' Messiah' everyone had been raving 

about?   He looked like a perfectly ordinary working class nobody to me.  ' I see your friends have great

faith' he went on.  ' They have gone to a great deal of trouble to bring you here today - and their faith has

been rewarded because I can tell you now all your sins are forgiven'.   He smiled at me and in that moment

I felt something lift off me.  Like a weight I had not realised I was carrying around.  I felt peace come

into me and all of a sudden I thought I might like to go to sleep.  Despite being in my bed in the middle

of a room full of complete strangers having the most peculiar day of my life, I felt completely relaxed.  

I wondered if this man might just be someone special after all.

Then I heard the murmuring.  Almost imperceptibly there were the sounds of people tutting and sighing

and generally being negative all around me.   Then the voice of Jesus came again.  '  I know what you are

thinking.  You are thinking ' Who is this man that he forgives sins?'  Well I shall show you something.

Is it easier to forgive sins or to heal?  I can do both.  Friend, your sins are forgiven and you are also made

completely well.  Get up, take your bed and go home. '  For a second I didnt register that he was talking

to me.  But then, in a mighty rush, I felt heat and power and life come into my back and spread to my 

legs and feet.  My toes started to tingle.  My ankles began to twitch and my knees jerked upwards so that

I looked like a dying fly.   The people in the room gasped as I rolled over onto my side, then onto my hands 

and knees before finally standing up.   I could not believe what was happening.  I hadnt used my legs for 

several years.  My muscles had wasted away and there was no way I should have been able to stand. Yet

here I was, standing perfectly straight and true without a wobble or a weakness.   I felt amazing.  I reached

down and touched my legs just to make sure they were mine.  Then I looked up to the roof and saw Jonas

and the guys open mouthed in amazement watching me.

I looked at Jesus who was smiling broadly at me.   He gestured to my mattress and I remembered that he

had told me to take it home.  So I rolled up my bed, put it over my shoulder and walked to the door of 

the room.   The crowd parted to let me through.   I went home that day healed and forgiven, restored to 

my wife and my family, able to work again, completely transformed.   I owe it all to those crazy friends of

mine who refused to listen to me and did what they knew they had to do to get me to Jesus.  I thank God

for them every day, and for Jesus, the Messiah who has come to forgive sins and bring healing and 

wholeness.  He has saved my life and now I want to live every day in a way that is worthy of that salvation.