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And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. (NASB) Luke 5:18-19 The man was lying on a bed. The Greek language reveals the man had been paralyzed for a very long time and everyone knew it. The man was not faking his paralysis. Mark 2:3 says that four men were carrying him. Apparently there was one man on each corner of the bed in order to carry him.
We are also told that the men had been trying to bring their friend inside. The Greek language is helpful once again and reveals that they had been repeatedly trying for some time. In short, these men were frustrated. They were not able to get into the house because of the crowd. Their goal was to get their friend in front of Jesus, and it was not possible. So someone had a great idea. Why not lower the man down through the ceiling of the home?
Apparently, they used the outside stairs to get the paralyzed man up on the roof of the home. Archaeology tells us that the roofs of the homes in Jesus’ day were constructed of timbers (tree poles) which were spaced about 2-3 feet (0.6 - 0.9 m) apart. Then small branches, reeds, brush, and palm fronds were laid on top of that. Next came leaves, dirt, and finally some clay which was rolled flat with stone rollers. Consequently, the roof could be removed in sections or in “tiles.” The bottom floor of the home was usually dirt or beaten clay. The second floor was usually made of wood. The doors were usually made of cloth, hides, or wood panels. The homes were commonly laid out with a courtyard in the middle or to one side.
Apparently, Jesus was sitting and teaching in the courtyard within the home. So when Luke says that they removed the tiles of the home, it appears that they removed a section of roof covered by clay over the courtyard. Mark 2:4 adds that they “dug” through the roof. That is, they removed the clay, dirt, and leaves in order to create a hole in the roof. Dirt and leaves must have started falling. If one of us had been there, we would have probably seen dirt and leaves falling. Jesus’ teaching would have been interrupted when the hole in the roof was created to lower their friend down through the roof in front of Jesus. All eyes would have been focused on the paralyzed man and Jesus.
Your Sins Are Forgiven. The gospel of Matthew says that Jesus told the paralyzed man, “Take courage.” The Greek word for “take courage” could also mean “Be brave.” Apparently, the man was fearful. Was he fearful because he believed that his paralysis was due to sin?
Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” (NASB) Luke 5:20 So Jesus encouraged him by forgiving his sins. The Greek word for “forgiveness” reveals that Jesus forgave all of his past sins. Jesus forgave all of his sins. The man did not do any penitence on the ground. He did not recite the rosary or do some good deed. He was just lying there. He was paralyzed.
So why did Jesus say this to him? The answer is found in James 5:14-16. |
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| Life & Heart of Jesus | ||||||
