In Luke 5 there is a very interesting account of one of the many miracles of healing that Jesus performed. In so many instances the miracles and healings were initiated by the people that were looking for the healing or deliverance, but on this passage the person was a paralytic. We are not given the exact details, we do not know if this person was able to talk, we do not know if he had been born that way or if it was something that happened overtime. What we know is that some people were carrying him and trying to get him before Jesus. This paralytic person was not able to get to Jesus, and probably was not even able to speak for himself, but a group of people were determined to carry that person all the way to Jesus.
One of the problems that they ran into is that Jesus was in a place that was crowded with religious leaders and people from all over Israel. Sometimes the religious people during the time of Jesus were interested in being around Jesus, but not in following Him, and blocking others of getting close to Him. The group of people carrying the paralytic, a person that probably could not move or even speak, were driven to bring that person to Jesus. They found a way to bypass all the religious crowds by going over the roof of the house where Jesus was. They had to go above, on a higher level of where all the crowds were, and they were able to present the person right in front of Jesus.
It is interesting that Jesus refers to the faith of the ones carrying the paralytic person; maybe it was because the person being carried could not even have faith anymore. The ones carrying that person had faith and were not stopped by the crowds, the obstacles and distractions. The person being carried was forgiven because of the drive and faith of the ones that were carrying that person to Jesus. That person did not move or say a word, it was the faith of the ones carrying that person to Jesus that caused the forgiveness of sins and healing.
Jesus referred to the paralytic as a friend that had his sins forgiven because of the faith of those that carried him to His presence. This is one example of a healing and forgiveness of sins that was not initiated by the person in need but by those that were carrying that person to God. This is an example of what we are supposed to do as Christians, to be carrying people that may have been paralyzed by their own circumstances and even their sins, that may not be able to move or even speak, that cannot believe anymore, but if we can find a way through the roof, the higher way, bypassing all the multitudes of distractions, that person can be healed and walk with God again.
“One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. 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. Seeing their faith (emphasis mine), He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you (emphasis mine).” The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up 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, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.” (Luke 5:17–25, NASB95)
Matthew 23:13
Luke 11:52