The Paralytic Lowered Through The Roof

The friends climbed up an outside staircase and dug a hole through the roof.

The paralytic lowered through the roof.

3 and they came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they had broken through they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. Luke 5 18 25new international version niv 18 some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before jesus 19 when they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd right in front of jesus. An awning is not a roof and it is rolled up not broken up moreover the man was let down through the tiles which seems to indicate that the remaining tiles encased an opening through which he was lowered.

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man but could not get inside so they made an opening in the roof above jesus and then lowered the man down. As late as the early 20th century some of the roofs in tiberias were of packed clay. 4 being unable to get to him because of the crowd they removed the roof above him. The gospel writer luke reported a paralytic man was lowered through the tiled roof.

Since they were not able to bring him to jesus because of the crowd they removed the roof above where he was. Most likely then the paralytic who was let down through the roof was weighed down by a burden of guilt which he had carried rightly or wrongly for many years. But the language is strongly against such a construction. And when they had dug an opening they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

When jesus saw their faith he said to the paralyzed man son your sins are forgiven some of the teachers of the law interpreted this as blasphemy since god alone can forgive sins. They lowered their friend down to the place where jesus was. The house had a flat roof and outside stairs leading up to the roof. The implication is quite clear that the man was paralyzed because of past sins.

Jesus was impressed by the faith of these men. It has been suggested the greek for clay tile might have also meant packed clay. When the man s friends carried him to the house where jesus was staying they found the house to be packed with people wanting to hear jesus and be healed by him.