The Roof

Mark 2

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door, and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves, and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, stand up, take your mat, and go to your home.” And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2)

Basilica Santa di Apollinare-Nuovo-Ravenna-Italy

6th Century

Well, someone had to fix that roof.

You may have heard this story a hundred times and never wondered about the roof. Yes, the roof, the roof that was opened up to allow the paralyzed man to be lowered into the presence of Jesus.

Think about it. Here we have Jesus in Capernaum, visiting friends at their home. And wouldn’t you know it, a crowd gathers. Uninvited, I might add.

Yes, a crowd gathers because Jesus is becoming famous, mostly as a healer, a man gifted by our YHWH God to cure all sorts of ailments. He had proven it again and again, and as you might imagine, his fame quickly spread.

You must understand that medicine in what you call the first century, is primitive. So very often, sick people simply die, or at the least, suffer from their ailments for years with no relief. A person who can heal is a literal life-saver, a miracle-worker.

Some in the crowd needed healing. Others were there just to watch. It was almost as if they were expecting a demonstration of magic. Witnessing a healing was something special, talked about for years. It was that miraculous.

Did Jesus shoo them away? Tell them to come back tomorrow? Invite them to assemble on the beach where there would be more space? Did he make them wait while he finished preaching?

I’m sure you remember that, again and again, Jesus allowed Himself to be interrupted. Don’t forget that His message was the most important message that anyone, then or now, could ever hear. Yet in His humility, and in His passion for the sick and wounded, He stopped speaking and healed the sick man before resuming His message. As He had done before, time and again.

I believe Jesus understood that His healings were actually a part of His message, telling the people that God cares about their physical suffering as well as their spiritual wandering. But He was perhaps even more passionate about His words, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God had come near. His follower and friend, the Apostle John, even called Jesus “the Word” (John 1).

Who am I? I’m one of “some people” the people who escorted the paralyzed man. I wasn’t one of the four who carried him, but you should know that there were more than four of us, more than four who considered the man a friend, and who hoped that Jesus could heal him. His name has been lost to history, along with the names of all of us. But it’s enough to say that he was known to many in Capernaum.

And of course, as you can read, Jesus did heal him, performing what we all considered a miracle. But I am sure you noticed that first, before Jesus healed him, Jesus proclaimed that his sins were forgiven.

How could that be? I mean, our paralyzed friend had not uttered a word, much less any kind of confession. He’d made no sacrifice as prescribed by the Law of Moses. And as far as we knew, he was totally unknown to Jesus.

Yet you should understand that forgiving his sins reflected the importance that Jesus gave to the Kingdom of God. You see, the Kingdom of God, to Jesus, is a place of righteousness. A place where sinful people can approach a righteous God with no fear of punishment. And, after all, Jesus came to our world to save us, not only from our physical ailments, but most important, from our sinful nature, to ensure that we would be well-received by His father, our righteous God.

We were late. You can’t miss that. Of course, the gathering was impromptu, so we had no advance notice. But when we heard that Jesus had returned to Capernaum, and was in a home that we knew, we quickly got together to bring our friend to him.

Of course, being late did not matter to Jesus. He was literally in mid-sentence when we approached the home, working our way through the crowd. Jesus, standing in the doorway, knew something was afoot, so He paused His message.

There was no place to lay down the mat on which our friend lay. Those in the crowd could have backed off, making room for us to lay him at the feet of Jesus. But no one wanted to give up his place. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s true. So, we quickly changed our plan and, as you know, four members of our group, undaunted, literally lifted our friend up to the roof of the house.

Jesus immediately understood. Actually, I think I saw Him smile at our boldness. And He did not criticize the members of the crowd who’d not given way to us. He simply went inside the house and waited for our friend to be lowered down.

You know the rest of the story. Except for one thing. You don’t know whose house we were in.

Whose house? Did it matter? Who would care about the house Jesus was visiting when the crowd gathered?

I did, and so did some others. You see, the house was the home of an elderly couple, known to many of us in Capernaum. They were poor and not in the best of health. None of us would have been surprised to hear that one (or both) of them had died.

I tell you this to let you know that Jesus cared for the elderly. Yes, He looked after the weak, the poor, and the sick. You remember how He drew the children to Him as well. But the elderly lived in a special place in His heart. That’s why Jesus was visiting in their house.

And, that’s where I entered this story. Because, as you remember, Jesus cared for the paralytic, forgiving his sins and restoring his health. And the crowd was, of course, amazed. All except the scribes, who were present in the crowd to find fault. Surely you know about them.

But where I came into this story was at the end. Because after all was said and done, everyone left. My paralyzed friend could now walk home, and he did, escorted by the four who’d carried him to Jesus. The crowd left too, as did Jesus, once He had finished preaching. Talk about the healing would go on for days.

That left me, alone, with the elderly couple who owned the home where all of this had taken place.

They were standing inside, looking up at the sky through the hole in their roof, faces lined with worry. I instantly knew what to do.

You see, there was no way for them to repair the hole. So, I quickly climbed up onto their roof and restored the tiles that had been moved away.

It wasn’t a big deal and I want no praise for it. But just the same, I was profusely praised by the elderly couple. They couldn’t stop thanking me.

What a day! It started just like so many other days in Capernaum. But then, Jesus arrived. And I have learned that when Jesus arrives, things happen! After all, by end of day I had been enlisted to help to escort our paralyzed friend to the home of the elderly couple. I had watched as four friends literally carried him up to the roof of the house, and open a hole to lower him into the presence of Jesus. I witnessed as Jesus, interrupting His preaching, restored my friend, but not until He had forgiven his sins. I marveled that my friend could then walk home, unaided. And finally, after everyone left, I climbed up onto the roof to repair the opening that made it all possible.

Yes, when Jesus arrives, you’d better watch out! Things happen!

I have wondered about the roof. Surely, Jesus could have repaired the roof by Himself. Don’t you agree? But that would have been a sort of magic and Jesus was a healer and not a magician. And besides, leaving me alone with the elderly couple gave me an opportunity to serve, and to be a part, albeit a small part, of one of the miracles of Jesus.

Maybe someday, He will give you too, an opportunity to be small part of a miracle!