Tearing a Hole in Jesus' Roof

You gotta do what you gotta do to find healing and forgiveness.

This healing story is well-known for many reasons. Yes, it’s phenomenal that some people tore a hole in Jesus’ roof.¹ The desperation of such friends for their loved one is powerful. What would we do for another?

It probably wasn’t legal to tear a hole in someone’s roof. Jesus doesn’t even mention it. The focus is on the need. The need was the focus for the four friends. It was certainly the focus for the one lying on the mat. And it was the focus for Jesus.

But Jesus brings fullness to it. We come to see that healing and forgiveness are deeply intertwined. When Jesus sees the faith of the friends, he begins not by addressing the man’s physical condition but by saying, Son, your sins are forgiven. This is a weird — and frankly, uncomfortable move. Who said anything about sinfulness? The guy just needs to walk.

The unexpected move surprises everyone and sparks controversy—not because of healing, but because Jesus claims the divine authority to forgive sins. The physical healing that follows isn’t a separate act; it’s meant to confirm that forgiveness has already been given. Jesus says, So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…, and then tells the man to get up and walk.

The healing is a visible sign of an invisible restoration. In doing this, Jesus redefines healing—not merely as the mending of the body but as the restoration of the whole person. He doesn’t blame, doesn’t wait for confession, and doesn’t separate spiritual need from physical pain. Healing and forgiveness are not the same thing, but in Jesus’ ministry, they are inseparably connected.

God’s authority is not divided — it brings restoration to every part of our lives.

Mark 2:1-12

After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”

Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, “Why does he speak this way? He’s insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins.”

Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.”

Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”

Psalm 103:1-5

Let my whole being bless the Lord! Let everything inside me bless his holy name! Let my whole being bless the Lord and never forget all his good deeds: how God forgives all your sins, heals all your sickness, saves your life from the pit, crowns you with faithful love and compassion, and satisfies you with plenty of good things so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle’s.

Prayer

Holy Father of all creation:
I see your love and justice in Jesus of Nazareth.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Make me more like him. Amen.

1. Various interpretations have been made about this house. Some seem to think that when Mark says, “Jesus was at home,” that means in his very house. It’s plausible. We do know that Capernaum was his homebase during his public ministry years. Many run with the verse that says, “The Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” as evidence Jesus was homeless. Perhaps. Either way, it’s not so doctrinally significant that it’s worth fretting over, but it is certainly possible that this was Jesus’ own place.