Four men brought a paralyzed man to see Jesus to be healed, but so many people were crowding around Jesus that they could not get close. Instead of being discouraged, they carried the man to the roof and dug through it. Then they lowered the paralyzed man right down in front of Jesus. The Bible tells us in Luke 5:20, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (NIV). Then in Luke 5:25, “Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God” (NIV).

Sometimes we do not always see an easy answer. Often, getting to the place where we can clearly see God and His way takes time. We might not know the answer right away, but be assured that God is always there, and He always has the solution to whatever we need. This story reminds us that sometimes we need the help of our friends. God does not expect us to have all the answers on our own; that’s why we have each other. Without four friends, the paralyzed man would never have gotten to Jesus. 

As we look at the story that Luke tells of Jesus healing the paralyzed man, which is such a familiar tale from the Bible, we might be struck by all the things we really don’t know. Of course, in keeping with the theme of this series, we do not know the names of any of the men involved — the paralyzed man or the ones who carried him. Unlike the Samaritan woman, we don’t even know where these men were from. While Mark mentions that the story takes place in Capernaum, Luke tells us that there were people from “every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem” (Luke 5:17 NIV). We don’t know if the men were friends, or if they found this paralyzed man and decided to present him to Jesus. We know that the man on the mat is paralyzed, but there is no real detail about his condition.

Could he move at all? Could he talk? Was he in some sort of accident or born this way? Whose idea was it to lower him through the roof? Thankfully, Mark mentions in his telling of the story that there were four men who broke through the roof and lowered the man down; otherwise, we wouldn’t even know how many people were involved. When we encounter a story with so few details, it’s tempting to try to fill in the gaps, but it’s actually much more important to pay close attention to the details that Luke took the time to include.

1) “The power of the Lord” was there

It seems obvious that if Jesus is there, God’s power would be there, too. So obvious in fact that none of the other Gospels include this detail; however, there is a clear difference in this story between those who recognized God’s power in their midst and those who chose to ignore it. It was God’s power that compelled people from every village in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem, to converge on a house in Capernaum; a farming and fishing village on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee of about 1500 people. This means that some people had to travel 200 kilometers on foot to see Jesus. They came to witness God’s power. 

It was the hope and the promise of God’s power that compelled four men to do whatever it took to get the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. They literally dug through the roof. Luke adds in verse 19 that they dug “through the tiles.” This was not an easy task, but then they followed it up by lowering a man through the hole in the roof they had just created, which was dangerous and risky. It risked further injury to the guy on the mat as well as injury to the crowd underneath him. What drove them? It was the power of God.

God gives us a choice; He doesn’t force His power upon us. We can either pursue and embrace God’s power or ignore it. When we decide to take that step and embrace the power of God, something incredible happens.

2) When Jesus saw their faith

Jesus recognizes us and embraces us. There are two details in this one verse that we should not overlook. The Greek word, which is translated as “saw,” combines both the physical act of seeing and the mental act of understanding. In an instant, Jesus not only looked at the person who was lying in front of Him, but He also understood all that had taken place. He saw the man, and He understood the faith. More importantly, He understood their faith.

Commit to pray for those around you. Be the person who brings their desires, their wants, their sins, their souls before the Savior. Write down the names of three people and commit to praying for them. Write down a situation and commit to praying for it.

Not just for a week or a month or even a year but continue to pray until you see God at work. Jesus will see your faith. This brings me to the second detail in that short verse.

3) Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven”

Mark makes this detail even clearer in his telling of the story. He records Jesus saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). The word translated as “son” is “teknon.” It literally means “child,” but throughout the New Testament, it’s also used metaphorically to indicate dependence and affection. Part of what Jesus saw and understood in this moment was that this paralytic and the men who lowered him were relying on Jesus, and Jesus alone, for his healing. 

What’s more, Jesus did not view this paralytic as a burden or a pest. He saw him as His beloved “son.” If you’ve ever had to depend on someone for help, you know how hard that can be. People who deal with disabilities understand how dehumanizing it can be when others reduce you to your condition. Yet, in this moment, Jesus sees the person and not only the mat. Jesus sees his deeper needs — forgiveness, love, and acceptance.

Luke ends this passage with the simple declaration, “We have seen remarkable things today” (Luke 5:26 NIV). Do not make the mistake of believing the remarkable thing was only that man who was paralyzed, rolled up his mat, and walked away, because that misses the point. The most remarkable thing was God’s grace and forgiveness. Likewise, for us, the most remarkable thing is that God sees us, still loves us and calls us to be His child.

Jesus and the Paralyzed Man: Luke 5:17-32

One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Illustration by Nicole Rifkin | This article was originally titled “Nameless and Known: The Paralyzed Man and His Friends” in the February 2026 issue of The War Cry.