Jesus was in a completely packed house, preaching the Word of God. Four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher.

Since they could not bring him to Jesus, they made a hole in the roof. Then they lowered the man on the stretcher, right in front of the Savior.

Seeing their faith, the Lord said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

The crowd was doubly amazed, not only by the dramatic entrance of this man but also by Jesus’ reaction.

The Savior could see that this man, more than walking, desperately needed God’s forgiveness. He had spent many years bedridden, and his heart had been filled with resentment and bitterness.

It was necessary for the first miracle to happen inside him, in order to then allow the miracle of walking again. That man returned home forgiven by God, carrying his stretcher in his arms.

Illness can sometimes be just the visible part of a crisis. Behind every ailment, there is a suffering soul, a heart prone to being contaminated with bitterness, a feeling of abandonment and fear. We need to pray for a double miracle from Jesus in every case.