YOU ARE THERE! Healing in Capernaum!

I often have my students rewrite Bible stories from the viewpoint of the characters in those stories. Several weeks ago, my 8th graders rewrote the story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man in Capernaum who was let through the roof by four of his friends in Luke 5:17-26. Much to the chagrin of the religious leaders, Jesus first forgives the poor man's sins! For this assignment, the students can choose to be a witness to the miracle or the crippled man himself. I like it when they have to look at a teaching from the perspective of an actor in that real life play. What follows is the work of Kaitlyn and Jordan, marked out by pink and blue. Both are used by permission.

So, one day I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when I saw two people talking. They looked suspicious, so I went over and asked what they were talking about. “The new preacher from Nazareth! His name is Jesus and rumor has it that he can perform miracles on the people who need them!” That caught my attention. He can perform miracles?? I had this friend who couldn’t move a muscle from his neck down. This could be his chance! “Thank you, both of you!” I rush off, going to find my friend. He was going to be so happy that I found someone who could heal him. I couldn’t wait to see the smile on his face. I knocked on the door. “Simon, are you in there?” I asked. “Yeah, I’m here” I heard in return. “You can come in.” I opened the door and smiled. “You’re never gonna guess who I found! There’s this preacher from Nazareth, I think His name was Jesus, and rumor says that he can heal those who need healing! Isn’t this great?” I exclaim. He ponders for a second, thinking if this would be worth it. “Yes, let’s do it,” he replies. So I set out to search for three more of his friends to help me carry him there. Once I had found them, it was go time. We transferred him to a stretcher and started carrying him there. It took us about an hour to get there. Once we got there, however, the door was blocked. The crowd was too big. We set him down for about ten minutes to try and come up with a strategy. It wasn’t until he had made an amazing recommendation that we knew what to do. “Bring me in through the roof.” What an amazing idea! We all nodded in agreement and started carrying him up through the roof. I was the one who had to take the ceiling tile off. We had lowered him down and were watching through the hole in the roof. Come on, the rumors had to be true or else we did this for nothing. “Your sins have been forgiven” Jesus announces. What? That isn’t what we came for! Why did He forgive Simon’s sins when that obviously isn’t what’s wrong? Then He went on this long speech, asking if it is easier to forgive sins or to heal. I guess He wasn’t wrong...it just wasn’t what we were all expecting. But then we hear it. “Get up and go home” Immediately, Simon stands up and starts walking home. I rush down to the ground, not even bothering to put the ceiling tile back in place. “He did it! You’re healed!” “And all thanks to you” Simon smiles. “Thank you for bringing me here, but I’m gonna go home now. It feels weird to walk and right now, all I want to do is lay down and sleep. Standing up and walking definitely isn’t my thing...... yet!” We all laugh together, glad that Simon can walk and glad those rumors weren’t fake. (Kaitlyn) 

My legs have been paralyzed since I was born. I have never been able to get any treatment for it due to the fact that we didn't have any treatment. But today was different, I will never forget this day, the day I was cured from my burdens that I carried around my entire life. Today, I heard that the Lord was in town. I had heard stories of this man being able to heal people so I wanted to see for myself if he could heal me. Four men had approached me and asked if they could help me get to this man. I gladly accepted the offer and they picked me up and carried me. It took us a little while but finally we were able to get to where the man was. However, there was a huge crowd so we couldn't make it past the door. The man was inside of a house so my new friends suggested that we could go in through the roof. I was nervous at first about this idea but I needed this man to heal me so I went with it. We busted through the roof and as soon as The man saw me, he forgave me of all my sins. All of a sudden, the Pharisees start to yell at the man about claiming to be God by forgiving my sins. Do these men not know who he is? Have they not heard the stories or seen what he has done? He must truly be the messiah! Jesus then asks them whether it is easier to forgive or to heal, to which they do not respond. Then, he tells me to get up!! I do not know how to get up so I just try my hardest. All of a sudden, my legs are no longer paralyzed.; I can walk!!! He then tells me to take my mat and go home so I do just that while giving thanks to the God above!  (Jordan)

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1