The story is told that around 2000 years ago, four men had a friend that had a movement disorder. In the story, it was said the man was stricken with palsy.The four friends had heard of a man that could heal people was in town. An Old English version of the story describes what happens this way;
(And again, he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God.)
These four friends decided to take their friend to this healing man so he would no longer have to live like this. They each grasped a corner of their friend’s bed, the bed he had been trapped in for so many years. They carried him to the house where this healing man was. But when they got there, so many people surrounded the house and were blocking the door that they couldn’t get close.
So, they decided the only way they could get their friend inside was to get on the roof and find a way in from there.
Meanwhile, Jesus was inside, talking and healing, when He noticed something falling from the ceiling. He looked up and discovered that someone was making a large hole in the roof. Soon He saw some men were lowering something down to him by ropes tied to the four corners. He stepped back to allow the object to rest on the floor. He saw there was a man on a bed. The man was obviously sick. Jesus looked up again and saw four men with hope shining from their faces looking down at Him through the hole they had just created.
Jesus then looked at the man on the bed. His entire body from his head to his feet was grossly contorted and continuously shaking. He placed His hand on the man’s shoulder. His hand followed the rhythm of the tremors. With compassion and love in His voice, Jesus told him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now earlier, when Jesus had arrived at the house and all the people had surrounded the doorway, along came a group of the church leaders. The crowd parted to allow the leaders to enter the house. The moment Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven, the leaders looked at each other and thought to themselves, “He can’t say that! Only God can forgive sins.” Jesus knew what they were thinking. He turned to the leaders and asked them, “Which one is easier, to tell this poor man his sins are forgiven, or to tell him to get up and walk? I will show you that I have the power to do both.” With that, Jesus turned back to the man lying on the bed, His hand still moving in time with the tremors. He looked at him and said, ” Get up and pick up your bed and go home.” Immediately, Jesus hand and the man’s body became perfectly still. Jesus stepped back. Every eye was on the man on the bed. Slowly, he started to move, but these were not involuntary movements they had witnessed for so long. These were slow, deliberate movements. It was like watching the birth of a butterfly. As he got up, he transformed from a curled up, contorted, shaking figure into a normal man, standing straight and tall. He stood there for a moment or two, looking around at all the amazed faces, (except for the stone faces of the church leaders, who were obviously not sharing in everyone else’s joy). He looked up through the hole in the roof at his four friends. How could he ever thank them? Lastly, He looked over at Jesus. He couldn’t seem to find any words. Jesus just smiled and tilted His head to the side as if to say, “Go home.”
The man bent down, picked up his bed and left the house, a free man.
(The definition of palsy is: pal·sy
pôlzē/
noundated
- paralysis, especially that which is accompanied by involuntary tremors.
“a kind of palsy had seized him”
verb
- affect with paralysis and involuntary tremors.
“she feels as if the muscles on her face are palsied”)
In 1817, a London doctor named James Parkinson wrote a paper describing people that had difficulty with movement along with uncontrolled tremors. He named the condition, “The Shaky Palsy”. Soon after he published his article, it began to be called Parkinson’s disease.)
Re: Luke: 5: 17-26 (Bible)
Slow Hand Journey 