When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven you.
Mark 2:5.
Thieves normally break into a house when the inhabitants are away. It once happened, however, that four men broke into a house that was crammed full of people. They climbed on to the roof and started taking the roof off. When the opening was big enough they let a fifth man on a mattress down into the room beneath them.
The man on the mattress was paralysed. His friends had no choice other than this way to get him to Jesus Christ. They knew that He was the only One who could help. Their greatest wish was to hear the Son of God say, “You are cured.”
But the Lord said something quite different: “Your sins are forgiven you.” What a remarkable thing to say to someone greatly handicapped! Had the men broken in to steal, sin would have been a suitable accusation. But here lay a man who could hardly commit serious sins and was obviously regarded highly by his friends. Why speak to him about sins? Didn’t his suffering atone for his sins?
Soon after Jesus told the paralytic to stand up and walk, and he was immediately completely healed. First, however, the Lord was concerned with the man’s greater problem, which could not be dealt with through his suffering. And what Jesus said to that lame person applies to us today as well. He came into the world to save sinners. We do not have to break into a house or undertake anything else to come to Him. We must only confess the guilt of our life to Him and believe His promise.