They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
—Mark 2:3–5

The four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus displayed great faith. Because they trusted that Jesus could heal, they did everything they could to bring the man before Him. They did not give up their pursuit of Jesus when obstacles stood in the way, and neither did they believe they could possibly heal this disease on their own power. By recognizing their own helplessness, they were motivated to go to such great lengths to seek the One who could truly heal.

In faith, we do all that we can to lay ourselves at the feet of Jesus. Faith requires us to move, to act—but not to try and take control. Our healing, and the healing of those we love, does not depend on our own capabilities. We are called to draw closer to Jesus, who will heal us and infuse us with His own grace. We must place ourselves before Him and be vulnerable, acknowledging our own faults and failures. When we trust Him with these wounds, He will enable us to rise and walk, free of shame and guilt.

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Image: James Tissot, Le paralytique descendu du toit / PD-US