A dramatic story today from Mark as four men, trying to get their paralysed friend to Jesus, can only get into the house by dropping him down through the roof. Jesus is touched by their faith in Him and immediately tells the man his sins are forgiven. Maybe the man was surprised to hear this because that was not what he was looking for. The bystanders, too, are shocked by Jesus' words. Because who can forgive sin but God? They cannot yet see God working in Jesus. To prove His point, Jesus then goes on to cure the man, who takes up his sleeping mat and walks out of the house to the astonishment of all. For these people a disability like paralysis was the result of sin; if the paralysis goes so does the sin. They have been seeing God at work - and are amazed: "We have never seen anything like this!" And indeed they had not. Let us pray today that we, too, may be healed of the sinfulness that paralyses us in our service of Jesus and those around us.