“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
And behold, some people brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven. The paralytic's healing begins with an unexpected declaration: your sins are forgiven. The friends who brought the man presumably came for physical healing; they receive a prior spiritual declaration that causes offense (verse 3) before producing astonishment (verse 8). When Jesus saw their faith — the faith of the friends who carried the paralytic — he responds first to the deeper need. The my son is an expression of affectionate relationship; the take heart is the assurance before the gift. Mark 2:3–5 provides the detail of the four friends who lowered the paralytic through the roof.
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