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When Jesus Saw Their Faith

Four friends tear open a roof, and Jesus shows He has power on earth to forgive sins

  • 📖 Adult Sunday School
  • Week 9
  • 📅 Sunday, February 28, 2027
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ has power to forgive sins as surely as He has power to heal, and He often works through friends who carry one another to Him; each of us will sometimes be on the mat and sometimes holding a corner.

I can bring my own sins and burdens to Jesus Christ, trust His power to forgive, and help carry someone else to Him this week.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7)
Know the chapters

This week’s block is a run of miracles. In Matthew 8:2–3 a leper kneels and says, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Jesus touches him. In 8:5–13 a centurion trusts Him to heal from a distance. In 8:17 Matthew sees Isaiah fulfilled: “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Mark 2–3 adds the paralyzed man, the call of Levi, and a withered hand healed on the Sabbath. It also has the ordaining of the Twelve. Mark 4 gives the parables of the sower and the mustard seed, then the storm on the sea. In Luke 7 Jesus raises a widow’s only son at Nain. It ends with a forgiven woman weeping at the Savior’s feet.

This lesson centers on Mark 2:1–12. Capernaum sits on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had become Jesus’s home base. Matthew 9:1 calls it “his own city.” Houses there usually had flat roofs of beams covered with branches and packed earth. An outside stair led up. Luke 5:19 says the friends let the man down “through the tiling.” “Sick of the palsy” means paralyzed. The footnote to “borne of four” says the Greek means carried.

Notice the order of the miracle. Everyone expected a healing. But Jesus’s first words were about the man’s sins. In Mark 2:7 the scribes say only God can forgive sins. They’re right, and that’s the point. Jesus answers their unspoken objection with the visible miracle. It shows He has the invisible power. In 2:10 it’s “that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” The same authority offers us forgiveness every week, through repentance and the sacrament.

Twenty-five minutes goes quickly. Walk through Mark 2 in five short readings. Let the four friends carry most of the discussion. They give adults a picture of ministering and of being ministered to. The storm on the sea in Mark 4:37–41 is a short bonus for anyone in a storm right now. Luke 7 is ready in the extras. It has the centurion, the widow of Nain and the woman who loved much.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Mark 2 once. Open by asking, “When has someone carried you when you couldn’t get there yourself?” Walk through five short readings: 2:1–4, 5–9, 10–12, 14–17 and 24–28. Ask one question after each. Spend the most time on Four Corners of the Mat. Close with Mark 2:10–11 and a testimony of His power to forgive. Invite everyone to pick up one corner of someone’s mat.

What to bring2 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read Mark 2 out loud once, then Mark 4:35–41. Skim Matthew 8 and Luke 7 so you can answer a question about them.
  2. Think of someone who once carried you, spiritually or practically. If the room is quiet during the hook, you’ll share first.

Discussion tips

  • Quiet class? Have people reread Mark 2:1–5 silently and picture the scene before you ask anything. Then share your own answer first. Your honesty gives others permission.
  • One voice filling every pause? Thank them warmly, then say, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t had a chance yet.”
  • Someone in the room may be the one on the mat right now. They might be disabled, chronically ill, depressed or worn out. Don’t cast them only as someone else’s project. Help everyone see that Jesus called this man “Son.” Being carried isn’t a failure.
  • Some have prayed for healing that didn’t come. If that comes up, honor it. Mark 2 shows that forgiveness was the deeper miracle. In Matthew 8:17, the Savior bore our sicknesses Himself. You don’t need to settle every question. You can listen and testify.
  • Visitors or new members? Explain what “palsy” and “scribes” mean. Tap the references on the shared screen. Never ask anyone to read aloud without checking first.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Each “On the screen” line is what the class sees on a shared screen in Teach Mode in the Gospel Sparks app; on paper, read it aloud or write it on the board.

1. Hook

Carried

3 min

Opens with a personal memory of being carried, so the story lands as something the class has lived.

  1. SAY“Think of a time someone carried you. You couldn’t get where you needed to be on your own. Maybe physically, emotionally or spiritually. You don’t need to share details.”
  2. Give them about 20 seconds of quiet. Then take two or three answers. If the room is quiet, share yours first.
  3. SAY“Today we’ll meet four people who carried a friend to Jesus. And we’ll see what He gave that man that no one expected.”

On the screen: 🤝 When has someone carried you when you couldn’t get there yourself?

2. Story

Mark 2 in Five Short Readings

9 min

Walks through Mark 2 a few verses at a time, from a hole in the roof to a Sabbath made for man, with one question at each stop.

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Mark 2 in five short readings. Picture a real, crowded, dusty house in Capernaum.”
  2. Show one scene at a time. A volunteer reads the first passage. You read the rest, where the Savior speaks.
  3. Before each reading, give the setup on the screen. Afterward, ask the scene’s question and take two or three answers.
  4. Keep each stop to about two minutes. After the last reading, let the quiet sit for a few seconds.

On the screen: 🏠 Mark 2: a packed house, four friends, a hole in the roof, and a surprising first sentence · Five short readings: 2:1–4 · 5–9 · 10–12 · 14–17 · 24–28

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: The shared screen (TV or device) with Teach Mode open

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Mark 2 in five short readings. Picture a crowded, dusty house.”
  2. Read verses 1–4, 5–9, 10–12, 14–17 and 24–28. Give each setup in your own words first. A volunteer reads verses 1–4. You read the rest.
  3. After each reading, ask the scene’s question aloud and take two or three answers. Keep each stop about two minutes.
3. Scripture

Whose Faith?

4 min

Studies Mark 2:5 closely so class members see both the friends’ faith and the Savior’s deeper gift.

  1. SAY“Let’s slow down on one verse.”
  2. Read Mark 2:5 while the class follows on the screen.
  3. Ask, “Look at ‘their faith.’ Whose faith do you think Jesus saw?” Take a few answers.
  4. Draw it out. Friends can bring someone to the Savior, but only He forgives. Each person repents for himself. The man had to let himself be carried.
  5. Ask, “What does it tell you that His first word to this man was ‘Son’?”

On the screen: 🙌 When Jesus saw their faith, he said … Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. · Mark 2:5 · Whose faith did He see? What did He give first?

4. Talk it over

Four Corners of the Mat

6 min

Helps adults see ministering as carrying people to Christ, and see themselves as sometimes the one being carried.

  1. SAY“Each of us will sometimes be on the mat and sometimes holding a corner. Let’s talk about both.”
  2. Pick two or three questions. Ask one, wait, then ask its follow-up before you move on.
  3. Before your last question, share President Camille N. Johnson’s words from “From general conference” below. If the room is quiet, answer first.
💬 Ask the class
  • Who has carried you to the Savior? Follow-up: What did they actually do or say that made the difference?
  • The friends ran into a crowd blocking the door. What “crowds” keep people we love from reaching Jesus Christ today? Follow-up: What might uncovering the roof look like for one of them?
  • It took four people to carry one mat. Why does ministering often work better as a team? Follow-up: Who could you carry a corner with this month?
  • Sometimes we’re the one on the mat. What makes it hard to let others carry us? Follow-up: What changed when you finally let them?
  • How do we know when to be persistent in helping someone, and when to step back and wait? Follow-up: What has the Spirit taught you about that?

On the screen: 🛏️ They couldn’t come nigh unto Him for the press, so they uncovered the roof. · Mark 2:3–4

5. Testimony

Power on Earth to Forgive

3 min

Ends with testimony of the Savior’s power to forgive and an invitation to carry and be carried.

  1. SAY“Jesus said He has ‘power on earth to forgive sins.’”
  2. SAY“That power reaches us every week, as we repent and take the sacrament.”
  3. Invite one or two people to share briefly. How have they felt the Savior’s forgiveness, or seen someone carried to Him?
  4. Bear a short testimony. Jesus Christ has power on earth to forgive sins.
  5. Invite: “This week, bring one burden or sin to Him in prayer. And pick up one corner of someone else’s mat.”

On the screen: 🕊️ The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins. · Mark 2:10–11 · This week: bring your own burden to Him. Carry one corner for someone else.

6. Talk it over

Carest Thou Not?

4 minBONUS

Gives room for honest fear and points to the Savior who is in the boat with us.

  1. SAY“Mark 4 ends with a storm. These fishermen knew this lake, and still thought they would drown.”
  2. Read Mark 4:37–41.
  3. Ask one or two questions with follow-ups, then close on time.
💬 Ask the class
  • Have you ever wanted to ask, “Master, carest thou not?” Follow-up: What helped you through?
  • Jesus was in the same boat, asleep. What does His calm teach about the storms we’re in? Follow-up: What would “Peace, be still” sound like in your life right now?
  • Jesus asked, “Why are ye so fearful?” Do you hear that as a rebuke, an invitation, or both? Follow-up: Why?

On the screen: 🌊 “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” … “Peace, be still.” · Mark 4:37–41

Read it together

Through the Roof

Mark 2:1–4; Mark 2:5–9; Mark 2:10–12; Mark 2:14–17; Mark 2:24–28 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🏠 They uncovered the roof

    Jesus is back home in Capernaum. The house is packed to the door. Let’s read Mark 2, verses 1 to 4. Picture dust and branches falling on the crowd while He preaches. Four friends “uncovered the roof.”

    💬 Ask: These four didn’t turn around and try another day. What does that tell you? Follow-up: Who has refused to give up on you?

  2. 💬 “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee”

    Everyone expects a healing. I’ll read verses 5 to 9. His first word is a family word: “Son.” His first gift is one nobody can see. The scribes object in silence. He answers anyway.

    💬 Ask: Why do you think Jesus spoke to the man’s sins before his legs? Follow-up: What does that say about what we most need?

  3. 🚶 “Arise, and take up thy bed”

    I’ll read verses 10 to 12. To show His invisible power, Jesus does the visible thing. The man carries out the very mat that carried him in. And the crowd says, “We never saw it on this fashion.”

    💬 Ask: When have you watched the Savior change someone so completely that you could say, “We never saw it on this fashion”?

  4. 🪙 “Follow me”

    In verse 13, Jesus teaches the crowds by the sea. I’ll read verses 14 to 17. Levi leaves his tax table to follow Him. Then he fills his house with “publicans and sinners.” Notice who the Physician says He came for.

    💬 Ask: Why is it sometimes hard to admit we’re the ones who are sick? Follow-up: Who in your life needs to hear that He came for them?

  5. 🌾 Made for man

    In verses 18 to 23, people ask why His disciples don’t fast. Jesus says the Bridegroom is here, and new wine needs new bottles. Then His disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath. I’ll read verses 24 to 28. Notice the order. The sabbath “was made for man.”

    💬 Ask: What do you think it means that the Sabbath was made for us? Follow-up: When has it felt like a gift, not only a rule?

Key verse

Mark 2:5 ↗
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
In plain words: Jesus saw the faith that brought the man to Him, and He gave him the deepest healing first: forgiveness. He called him “Son.”

More verses

Mark 2:17 ↗
“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
In plain words: Jesus came for people who know they need Him. Needing help is how we qualify.
Matthew 8:17 ↗
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
In plain words: The Savior doesn’t just heal from a distance; He has carried our weaknesses and pains Himself.
Mark 4:39 ↗
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
In plain words: The storm that terrified experienced fishermen obeyed three words from Jesus.

From general conference

“And the friends—in their efforts to care for one in need, they found the source of relief; they found Jesus Christ.”

— President Camille N. Johnson, “Jesus Christ Is Relief,” April 2023

Share in Four Corners of the Mat, before your last question.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Master, the Tempest Is Raging Hymns, no. 105

    The storm of Mark 4 set to music, ending in the Savior’s calm. A strong opening hymn. Find it ↗

  • I Need Thee Every Hour Hymns, no. 98

    A quiet hymn for anyone on the mat, needing to be carried to the Savior. Find it ↗

This week’s invitation

Pick Up a Corner

This week, bring one sin or burden to the Savior in honest prayer. Trust His power to forgive. Then pick up one corner of someone else’s mat. Offer a ride, a meal, a visit, an invitation or a quiet prayer with their name in it. Are you the one who needs carrying right now? Let someone help.

Take it home

In Sunday School we read Mark 2. Four friends carried a paralyzed man to Jesus. They even broke open a roof to get him there. In Mark 2:5 and 10–11, Jesus forgave his sins first, then healed him. At dinner, talk about who has “carried” your family through a hard time. Pick one person your family can help this week.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🛡️ Great Faith · 4 min

  1. Sum up Luke 7:2–5. The elders say this centurion is worthy. Then read Luke 7:6–9, where he says he isn’t worthy.
  2. Ask, “Why might humility and great faith go together?”

⚱️ The Widow of Nain · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 7:12–16.
  2. Point out that no one asked Jesus for help. In 7:13 He saw her and “had compassion on her.”
  3. Ask, “What does this teach about how the Savior notices people too grief-stricken to ask?”

🏺 She Loved Much · 5 min

  1. Sum up Luke 7:36–43. A woman washes the Savior’s feet with her tears. He tells Simon a parable of two debtors. Then read Luke 7:44–48.
  2. Explain that a penny, or denarius, was a day’s pay for a laborer. That’s from Matthew 20:2. So one debt was well over a year’s wages.
  3. Ask, “Jesus asked Simon, ‘Seest thou this woman?’ Who might we be failing to see?” Follow-up: “How are love and forgiveness connected here?”

✋ Stretch Forth Thine Hand · 4 min

  1. Read Mark 3:1–5. A withered hand is healed on the Sabbath.
  2. Notice that the man had to stretch out the very hand that didn’t work.
  3. Ask, “What is the Lord asking you to stretch out in faith right now?”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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