Friends and Forgiveness - Thurs 8 Feb 07

I knew I had not been a good person; I was pretty selfish in my pursuit of my own pleasure, never really thinking about anyone else. I used to laugh at the beggars in the market place, taunting them and saying they were sinners just to see them cringe.
So when I lost the feeling in my feet, then my legs I knew it was God’s judgment on me, well it had to be. And it got worse, creeping up my body until all I could do was lie on a pallet.
I suppose I deserved to lie there alone too but my friends wouldn’t let that happen. They came to visit me, washed me, fed me, and carried me around with them so I could still be a part of what they did.
I had plenty of time to think about that, and to contrast it with the way I had lived. I knew I had wasted what life I’d had, and I bitterly regretted it. Nothing left to do now but to lie there regretting it till I died.
The doctors shook their heads, had no idea what was wrong, but I knew, oh, yes, I knew.
Then we began to hear the rumours about Jesus the preacher returning to Capurnaum. He had been out and about healing and preaching all over the region and now he was returning. My friends got all excited about taking me to see him ‘Jesus will heal you just you see’ they said. I stayed silent, I didn’t like to disappoint them.
So the day arrived but by the time they had washed and dressed me and got me on the pallet and carried me to the house there was already a sizeable crowd in and around the house.
‘We’ll never get through that lot’ Jacob grumbled
But Samuel looked up at the roof speculatively, ‘Lets go up there’ he said and before I knew what was going on they were up the steps to the flat roof and had started to dig a hole in it. ‘Hey you lot, this is going a bit far isn’t it’ I warned but they were not stopping for anyone and before I knew it they were lowering me down on ropes. I wondered if I was just going to land in a heap in top of Jesus but they got me down safe enough and gave me the thumbs up through the gaping hole they had left.
There I was lying on the floor looking up feeling very embarrassed and Jesus looked down at me and said ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’ just as though he had read my mind.
And at that moment the feeling started to come back into my limbs, like pins and needles but nobody noticed because Jesus just suddenly started to challenge all the teachers of the law who had front row seats in the house. ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier?’ He said ‘Should I say ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or just ‘Get up, take up your mat and walk’
They all looked so embarrassed; I guess he had read their minds like he read mine.
So just to prove it he repeated ‘I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home’
Well the life had come back into my legs by then so a bit shakily I got to my feet and staggered out into the arms of my rejoicing friends. He got into an argument about forgiving sins but I know he forgave mine, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

‘Your sins are forgiven’ Mark 2:5