Having released two men from the grip of demons, Jesus travelled back by boat to Capernaum (Mark 2:1). It was His base for ministry in that part of the country, having already done many healing miracles there (Matthew 8:16). On his return, as he was teaching in someone's house, a paralysed man was brought to Him - carried by a group of friends.

It was not an easy task. Mark tells us that they climbed up the outside steps to the flat roof, broke a hole in the covering and lowered the man on ropes in front of Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). Although the crowd had stopped them going inside the door to meet Jesus, the men knew that He would heal their friend. Their activity was motivated by faith in Jesus (the paralysed man and his friends must have all believed in Him), and He knew it. But Jesus also knew that the man needed a holy heart as well as healed legs.

Jesus chose to forgive the man of all his sins. That was why He came to earth; so that sinners could be made right with God through Jesus. The announcement of inner cleansing was also prophetic of many more people who would put their faith in Jesus and benefit from the sacrifice He would make on the cross. Although the religious critics rightly said that only God can forgive sins, they were wrong in saying that Jesus was blaspheming: because Jesus was fully God as well as having a human body.

Religious people try many ways to be right with God, but there is only one way which God validates - believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5). His healing miracles were not intended to replace medical care but to demonstrate the power of God to purify sinful hearts through the sacrifice of His blood (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Announcing that truth is the essence of evangelism. The gospel is 'good news' for sinners who want to be saved. So if you know it, are you announcing it? If you do not, how will anybody know? If your friends or colleagues know they are in need of Jesus, have you brought them to Him? Why not use www.crosscheck.org.uk to introduce them to Jesus?