The Lame Walk

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised about that he was in the house. And straightaway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as around the door. And He preached the word unto them.  And they came unto him, bringing a paralytic, which was borne of four. And when they could not come near unto him for the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the mat wherein the paralyzed man lay.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and they said, "Why does this man speak such blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven; or to say, "Arise, and take up your mat, and walk?"  But that you may know that I have power on earth to forgive sins," (He then spoke to the paralytic, saying) "I say unto you, arise, and take up your mat, and go your way into your home."  And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw it on this fashion (Mark 2:1-12)."

(By raising the lame man, Jesus asserted his authority to pronounce the forgiveness of sins outside of the blood sacrifice system of the Temple in Jerusalem. The scribes believed that God decreed that sins could only be forgiven by the sacrifice of animals at the Temple. Jesus was viewed as blaspheming by claiming to have the authority to forgive sins outside of the blood sacrifice system of the Jerusalem Temple.)

After this there was a Jewish Festival; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Aramaic tongue Bethzatha, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, lame, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool, and disturbed the water: whoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped into it was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him laying down, and knew that he had been now a long time in that condition, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The crippled man answered him, "Sir, I have no one, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said unto him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk." And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his mat, and walked. (John 4:1-11)