There were many outside the house who could not get in because there was no room. Among them were four men carrying a stretcher. On it lay a man who was helpless from paralysis. His body had wasted away to skin and bone. His four friends had heard about Jesus' power, but now they stood in front of the house in dismay. "We can never get in," said one. "There's no use waiting until they leave," said another. "Let's take him back," said the first, discouraged. "No indeed!" The others were determined. "I am sure he will be healed if we can just find some way to get through," said one of them. The fourth man was gazing at a staircase that led up to the roof of the house next to Simon's home. "Look! Why can't we get in that way?" In a moment the men had climbed the stairs and stepped across the narrow space that separated them from the roof of Simon's house. On the porch under them, they could hear Jesus talking. It took about fifteen minutes to lift the tile from the porch roof, tie ropes to the stretcher, and lower the man toward Jesus. Everybody stared as the paralyzed man slowly came to rest at the feet of Jesus. "My son!" Jesus' voice could be clearly heard in the hush of the courtyard. "Your sins are forgiven." The statement took everyone by surprise. Andrew saw a scribe whisper to a friend. "Did you hear what he said?" remarked the scribe whom Andrew was watching. His friend nodded. A woman who knew the sick man said: "Is this man paralyzed because he sinned? He was born this way, wasn't he?" "He has been a very good man," answered her husband. Jesus turned to the scribes and Pharisees. "Why are you wondering about what I said? Tell me which is easier, to say to this man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'?" None tried to speak. Then Jesus said, "'But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins'"--he turned to the sick man--"Get up! Pick up your bed and carry it away!" Strength surged into the wasted frame of the paralytic. He rose and did as Jesus told him. A whisper ran over the crowd. The Pharisees and scribes sat silent. Watching them carefully, Simon saw that they were puzzled. An elderly man, who appeared to be a leader, whispered to a friend, "He actually claims to forgive sin! God alone can do that." The Pharisees and scribes rose to leave. They walked through the crowd without looking at the people. When they were outside, the elderly leader shook his head very gravely. "I had hoped this man would be a friend of the Law, but I am afraid he is not. 'Your sins are forgiven!' What a blasphemous thing for a man to dare to say!" [Illustration] 6. THE OLD AND THE NEW