A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”–Mark 2:1-12 (NIV)

When I imagined myself in this story,
I was one of the four
and friends were at the other corners.
My mother was on her deathbed,
and we were bringing her to Jesus
so he could take her home.

But like a bad dream,
a crowd blocked our way.
I could see Jesus inside teaching.
Then, he caught my eye.
I saw the urgency in his eyes,
the desire in his heart
to see my mom
one last time on this earth.

Then I got an idea.
You know how the story goes.
We lowered her through the roof.

But you don’t know
that in my story
Jesus smiled and thanked me
for my creativity,
for all the ways I bring my mom to him.
He thanked our friends.

Then Jesus held my mother’s hand
and, with a tear in his eye,
he caught her final breath
and took her to rest.

At the hospice,
I hold my mom’s hand
and play the song again,
and we picture how
it will be
when it happens.

Even from my mother’s womb
Never hidden from Your view
I was always known to You
When I fade away in death
You will catch my final breath
You will take me to my rest.
–Paul Zach, Always With Me

Credits and References:
Bible story image Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Bringing My Mother to Jesus by Esther Hizsa, 2026

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2026.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2026.  http://www.estherhizsa.com