阅读经文 

耶稣无论走到哪里，总有一大群人跟着祂，因为群众渴慕听祂的教导，但也有很多人主要是想看祂行神迹或为自己求一个神迹而来。

得不到医疗服务的人，极其盼望得医治。我们可以想像到，在听到这位能行神迹的耶稣之前，瘫子的生命是没有什么希望的，幸而有几个邻居朋友合力抬他去见耶稣。

到了那里，他们发现没法进到屋里，因为聚集的人实在太多了，他们便抬着瘫痪的朋友上了房顶，把他缒下，“正在耶稣面前”。

耶稣没有令他们失望。祂首先满足了瘫子灵命上最深的需要，就是赦免他的罪；耶稣随后也满足了那人肉身得医治的需要，就是叫他能行走。那人便“回家去，归荣耀与神”。

大约七年之前，一位亲爱的同工因癌病末期进了医院。他的四个朋友，包括我在内，受到这个故事的激励，我们便到他的病房探望他，用轮椅推他到露台，在基督里与他分享圣经的话语，一起祷告。

尽管耶稣并没有在那天医好他的癌病，然而祂已经赦免了我们这位朋友的罪。几个星期之后，这位朋友便“回（天）家去、归荣耀与神”，直到永永远远了。

Large crowds were following Jesus wherever he went. People were hungry for his teaching. Many people came mainly to see his miracles or to ask for one for themselves.

Hope for healing could be huge for people who had no medical care. We can imagine the paralyzed man living without hope, until he heard about Jesus the miracle worker. Some neighbors got together and carried this man to Jesus.

When they arrived and saw that they could not get into the house because the crowd was so big, they hoisted their friend to the roof and lowered him “right in front of Jesus.”

Jesus did not disappoint. First he met the man’s deepest spiritual need, forgiving his sins. Then Jesus met the man’s physical need, making him able to walk again. The man “went home praising God.”

About seven years ago, a dear colleague was hospitalized with terminal cancer. Inspired by this story, four of us who were friends of his met him in his room, wheeled him out to a patio, and shared Scripture and prayer with him in the presence of Jesus.

Jesus did not heal his cancer that day. But Jesus had already forgiven our friend’s sins. And some weeks later, our friend “went home praising God” for all eternity.