Hazrat Isa ( ع ) often stayed in a town in Northern Palestine called Capernaum. Here is a story about a time he was there. It is recorded in the Blessed Injeel in Mark 2.1-12
When Hazrat Isa ( ع ) returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door.
While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.
They couldn’t bring him to Hazrat Isa ( ع ) because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
Seeing their faith, Hazrat Isa ( ع ) said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Hazrat Isa ( ع ) knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
‘So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Hazrat Isa ( ع ) turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
What do you think about this story?
- Is there something you like in the story?
- Or something in it that doesn’t seem right?
- Does this story remind you of the way people sometimes behave?
- Maybe it starts you thinking about God.
- What does this story seem to suggest you do? (I think you know that God will bless you read the teaching of Hazrat Isa ( ع ) and obey and copy him.)