I've wanted to write this since the beginning of Lent when our priest did a sermon on this story. I don't think I quite got the message he was trying to give out of it, but I still think I got something good out of it. When he was telling it to us, I got the sudden image of Jesus laughing, fit to be tied. For some reason I got the impression that Jesus was so happy when he saw this, because it was the very beginning of his ministry and he wasn't sure if people were listening to him or not. So when guys believe in you so much to get in deep trouble with their relatives and a whole village, you know that you're getting through to people. This is just special to me because it was the very first time that I saw Jesus as a guy who laughed and it helps me like him a whole lot better. This story spoke to my condition, so I thought I might share it in the hopes that others would enjoy it. Reviews are always nice. Hint hint. Hopefully I will be inspired to write more soon.
DIGGING UP THE ROOF
I felt the sun beat upon me, the sweat trickling down my face. I reached up a hand to wipe at it before it stung my eyes and craned my neck, trying to get a glimpse of the sight over the hill. I held tightly to the sides of my mat, attempting to keep myself from being bucked off the platform. My friends and brother ran as fast as they could, but my weight slowed them down as we were passed by old and young. We were finally over the crest of the hill when we all groaned at the sight before us. Ezra's house was completely surrounded. There was no possibility of us getting close enough to even hear the Rabbi, let alone my being healed by him.
"We ran all this way for nothing!" Cursed Boaz
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Asked Abigail, my sister, desperately.
"Let's walk around Ezra's house, try to find an opening." Suggested Ethan.
"Not likely." Muttered Aharon under his breath. But we continued anyways, with no luck. There was not an inch of room, and no one was willing to give up their space. We wandered into one of the side streets and all four of them set me down to catch their breath. We sat dejectedly and thought furiously or despaired at turns.
"Wait a minute…" Aharon said, standing up, staring fixedly at the roof of the house. "I think I have an idea." He ran up the stairs that led to the roof, walking up and down the walkway. "Yes, this will work."
"What are you planning to do?" Ethan asked in a dangerous tone.
"Eliezer, get some rope." Aharon ordered without turning around.
"Aharon, what are you going to do?" Ethan raised his voice.
"Well what do you think? We're going to dig up the roof and lower Lamech down." Aharon said as if speaking to a simpleton. "Now go get that rope before the Rabbi leaves."
Ethan seemed speechless for a moment. "Aharon, you cannot just dig up Ezra's roof."
"Of course we can."
"No, you can't! Do you realize how much trouble we will get in?" Aharon's eyes grew serious and angry. He walked back down the stairs and stuck his face right into Ethan's.
"I do. And I don't really care; because this is the only chance my brother has of being healed. I saw Joshua drive out that demon myself. If anyone can heal Lamech, it's him. And I will not just sit by and watch him go without healing Lamech first." Aharon turned sharply and walked back up the stairs. "We're going to need shovels as well; the roof is too well thatched for us to rip it up with our hands." He called down as if nothing had happened. Ethan, Eliezer, Boaz, Abigail and I all looked at each other for a moment. We knew that when Aharon got like this you couldn't do anything but help him so he didn't hurt himself, so Eliezer and Ethan went off to get shovels while Abigail got rope.
Boaz remained and sat down with me. We both watched Aharon stride quickly across the rooftop, making notes of where beams were and deciding the best place to dig.
Boaz suddenly spoke. "He never forgave himself for your paralysis."
I bowed my head. "I know. I wish he would not torture himself over it."
"But he cannot help but do it, not when he could have prevented it. He feels that God punished you to demonstrate his neglect as an elder brother." Boaz watched me intently for a moment. Then he clapped me on the shoulder, as if I were a man equal to him, a man who could work for my own bread. "But come, let us not be gloomy. Your brother is right. If anyone can heal you it is this Joshua of Nazareth."
"Did he really cast the demon out of Dathan?" I asked.
"Of course! You've seen him for yourself, sane as the rest of us."
Then everyone was back with all we needed, and I was carried up the stairs. They set me to the side and started digging. Aharon's eyes had taken on the look of a madman, hacking frantically at the rushes with his shovel. Abigail was busy rigging up the harness to lower me down in, and I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of joy. Even if I wasn't healed, I now knew that I had people who cared enough about me to be willing to face the censure of the village.
"Aharon…" I had to reach over and grab a hold of his leg to get his attention. He turned, his mad eyes dimming slightly as he saw me. "Thank you." I almost choked on the words. He turned back to his work, scarcely acknowledging the thanks, but I knew that the others had heard. With any luck they would know that I was thanking all of them.
The diggers became visibly excited, so I knew that they were almost done. I could hear the shouts of protest from below as people finally noticed what we were doing. Abigail hurriedly got me into the harness. Once she was done she grabbed the sides of my face and stared at me for a long moment. She kissed me on the cheek and then Aharon was picking me up. From the way I was being treated and the sounds that I heard, I felt like I was entering a battle field with little hope of return. Aharon sat me down on the edge of the hole and lowered me gingerly, as I caught my first glance of the inside of the hornet's nest we had stirred up.
It truly did look and sound like a hornet's nest inside the house. The only clear space was in the very center of the room, where several men were holding the crowd back so the Rabbi could have a place to breathe. There was a loud buzz of voices, and a swelling of movement as people saw me. I pictured how conspicuous I must be and felt shame flood me. How had we had the gall to dig through another man's roof just so a cripple could see a Rabbi? I suddenly felt the urge to yell to my brother to pull me up, to get me out of here before I was condemned by all of them.
I turned my head up to do just that when I heard a laugh. It was not a beautiful laugh, but there was such pure elation in it that I could not help but feel that I should be laughing too. I looked back down to see that the Rabbi was looking straight up at me, his face crinkled into a smile, and I could not help but smile back. He turned to the men holding the crowd back.
"Look all of you!" He pointed up at me. "This is the kind of faith I've been talking about." He gazed back up, his face beaming with joy. "Help him down." He gestured towards a few of the men. They instantly came over and helped lower me the last few feet to the ground. I sat once again on the dirt, and now it was my turn to look up. The Rabbi bent down and grasped my hands.
"Son," he chuckled. "Your sins are forgiven." I was confused. What was he talking about? I was here to be healed, not to be forgiven, and he was speaking blasphemy. Everyone knew that only God could forgive sins.
Instantly I saw Joshua's face grow dark, and he stood up. He glared at the teachers of the law who were standing close by. "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?" His voice was loud and angry, and I shrank back. It was as if he had read my thoughts, but instead he had directed his anger at the teachers. But then I realized that they must have thought the same things as I had.
"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." Son of Man? What did he mean? He looked back down at me and commanded. "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." I stared at him for a moment, but suddenly my feet were moving without my telling them to.
I gaped at my legs, and then I thought 'Legs, move!'. They did. I looked back up at the Rabbi and he reached a hand down to help me up. His eyes were merry once again as he saw my astonishment as I stood up. I hurriedly bent down and picked up my mat, and then I began to walk. Faces were a blur as I exited. Praise to God burst from my lips as I began to run, dancing clumsily as I made my way to my own home on my own two legs. My heart was so full that I finally understood the Scripture "my cup overrunneth." It felt as if I did not release this joy somehow that I would burst. I heard people calling my name behind me, but I did not stop or look back. All I knew was that I was obeying the Teacher and going home.