As a young boy in Sunday School, my favourite story began with Jesus preaching to a large crowd in a house. While this was going on, four men showed up carrying a lame man they hoped Jesus would heal, but they couldn't get in through the door because the house was overflowing with people. Since they couldn't get in one way, they lifted the man onto the roof, to a spot directly above Jesus.

Now comes the part that I really liked. They ripped open the roof and made a hole large enough to lower their friend right in front of Jesus. To young boy, what the friends did was a surprise and novel thing. You just don’t go around taking roofs apart and lowering people on a stretcher. I thought the whole idea was awesome. Kids love action and this story really had it!

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'” (Mark 2:5 NIV)

We may well ask, what does that have to do with being lame, especially as Jesus teaches that a person's sickness and personal sins are not necessarily connected?

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3 NIV)

In other words, Jesus taught that sickness can't be understood as the punishment for sin as the one who suffers may use their illness for God’s glory.

The scribes who were present said that He was "blaspheming" (since only God can forgive sins) but “Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” (Mark 2:8-11 NIV)

The message was clear. Jesus could not only heal, He could forgive sins. He was showing that He was God in human form. "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9 NIV)

“And now let us ask ourselves whether we have yet known the Lord Jesus as our High Priest? Have we applied to Him? Have we sought absolution? If not, we are yet in our sins. May we never rest till the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we have sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his voice, saying, 'Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.'” J.C. Ryle