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

This lesson centers on Mark 2:1–12. Capernaum, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, had become Jesus’s home base; Matthew calls it “his own city” (Matthew 9:1). Houses there usually had flat roofs of beams covered with branches and packed earth, reached by an outside stair, and Luke says the friends let the man down “through the tiling” (Luke 5:19). “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. The scribes were right that only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7); that is the point. Jesus answers their unspoken objection by doing the visible thing so they would know He has the invisible power: “that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins” (2:10). The same authority offers forgiveness to us every week through repentance and the sacrament.

Twenty-five minutes goes quickly. Let the four friends carry most of the lesson; they give adults a picture of ministering and of being ministered to. The storm on the sea (Mark 4:35–41) is a short second discussion for anyone in a storm right now. Luke 7:36–50 (the woman who loved much) and the widow of Nain are ready in the extras if you have time or a class that wants them.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Mark 2:1–12 and Mark 4:35–41 once. Open by asking, “When has someone carried you when you couldn’t get there yourself?” Read Mark 2:1–5 together and ask whose faith Jesus saw. Spend most of the time on the Four Corners of the Mat questions. Close by reading Mark 2:10–11, inviting one or two testimonies of the Savior’s power to forgive, and asking each person to pick up one corner of someone’s mat this week.

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 2:1–12 and Mark 4:35–41, then skim Matthew 8 and Luke 7. Mark Mark 2:3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 17, and Mark 4:38–40.
  2. Ask two people ahead of time to read: one for the friends’ verses (Mark 2:3–4) and one for the scribes (Mark 2:6–7). A quick text on Saturday is plenty.
  3. Bring the folded blanket or towel and keep it out of sight until class starts.
  4. Think of someone who once carried you, spiritually or practically. If the room is quiet during the hook, you’ll share first.
  5. Pick the two or three discussion questions you most want to reach, and let the rest go.

Discussion tips

  • Quiet class? Give people a minute to reread Mark 2:1–5 silently and picture the scene before you ask anything. Then use the pairs moment; people who won’t speak to the room will talk to a neighbor.
  • One voice filling every pause? Thank them warmly, then say, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t had a chance yet,” or send the next question to pairs first.
  • Someone in the room may be the one on the mat right now: disabled, chronically ill, depressed or worn out. Don’t cast them only as a project for others. Invite everyone to see that the man was the one Jesus called “Son,” and that being carried is not 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, and Matthew 8:17 testifies that the Savior bore our sicknesses Himself. You don’t need to resolve every question; you can listen and testify.
  • Visitors and new members: explain what “palsy” and “scribes” mean, tap the references on the shared screen, and never ask someone 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. On the web you can play Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Carried

3 min

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

  1. Hold up the folded blanket or towel and set it on the table without explaining it.
  2. SAY“Think of a time when you couldn’t get yourself where you needed to be, physically, emotionally or spiritually, and someone carried you. You don’t need to share details.”
  3. Give 20 seconds of quiet, then take two or three answers.
  4. SAY“Today we’ll meet four people who carried a friend to Jesus, and 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?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A folded blanket or bath towel to stand in for the man’s mat

  1. SAY“Think of a time when you couldn’t get yourself where you needed to be, physically, emotionally or spiritually, and someone carried you. You don’t need to share details.”
  2. Give 20 seconds of quiet, then take two or three answers.
  3. SAY“Today we’ll meet four people who carried a friend to Jesus, and see what He gave that man that no one expected.”
2. Story

Read It in Context: Through the Roof

6 min

Reads Mark 2:1–12 as a real, crowded, dusty moment so its doctrine about forgiveness lands with weight.

  1. Open Teach Mode to the scripture scene. The shared screen shows one scene at a time.
  2. Read each scene’s context yourself, then let the assigned readers read the verses. You read the Savior’s words; no one is assigned to speak as the Lord.
  3. Keep it moving: context, verses, next scene. Save comments for the discussion.
  4. After scene 6, let a few seconds of silence sit before moving on.

On the screen: 🏠 Mark 2: a packed house, four friends, a hole in the roof, and a surprising first sentence · Follow along in Mark 2:1–12

3. Scripture

Whose Faith?

4 min

Studies one verse closely so class members see both the friends’ faith and the Savior’s deeper gift.

  1. Put Mark 2:5 on the shared screen and read it slowly.
  2. SAY“With the person next to you, look at two words: ‘their faith.’ Whose faith do you think Jesus saw?”
  3. After a minute, draw it out: the friends’ faith got the man through the roof, and the man had to be willing to be carried. We can bring people to the Savior; only He forgives, and each person repents for himself.
  4. Point out the word “Son.” Ask: “What does it tell you that Jesus’s first word to this man was a family word?”

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. Pick two or three questions; don’t try to cover all of them.
  2. Start the second question in pairs: give one minute to talk with a neighbor, then invite a few to share with the room.
  3. Share President Camille N. Johnson’s words (in “From general conference” below) before or after the last question you use.
  4. If the room is quiet, share your own answer first.
💬 Ask the class
  • Who has carried you to the Savior? What did they actually do or say?
  • The friends ran into a wall: the crowd. What “crowds” keep people we love from reaching Jesus Christ today? (Talk with a neighbor first.)
  • It took four people to carry one mat. Why does ministering often work better as a team than alone?
  • Sometimes we’re the one on the mat. What makes it hard to let other people carry us?
  • Breaking into a roof was bold. How do we know when to be persistent in helping someone, and when to step back and wait?

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

5. Talk it over

Carest Thou Not?

4 min

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

  1. Ask a volunteer to read Mark 4:35–41 while the class follows along.
  2. SAY“Several of these men were fishermen who knew this lake, and they still thought they were going to drown. Their question in verse 38 is one of the most honest in scripture.”
  3. Ask one or two questions, then move to the testimony on time.
💬 Ask the class
  • Have you ever wanted to ask, “Master, carest thou not?” What helped you through?
  • Jesus was in the same boat, asleep. What does His calm teach about the storms we’re in?
  • Jesus asked, “Why are ye so fearful?” Do you hear that as a rebuke, an invitation, or both?

On the screen: 🌊 “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” … “Peace, be still.” · Mark 4:35–41

6. Testimony

Power on Earth to Forgive

2 min

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

  1. Read Mark 2:10–11 again.
  2. SAY“The same Jesus who spoke to that man offers each of us forgiveness as we repent, and we renew that promise every Sunday at the sacrament table.”
  3. Invite one or two people to share, in a sentence or two, how they have felt the Savior’s forgiveness or seen a friend carry someone to Him.
  4. Bear a short testimony that Jesus Christ has power on earth to forgive sins.
  5. Invite: “This week, bring one burden or sin to the Savior 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.

7. Talk it over

She Loved Much

5 minBONUS

Adds Luke 7’s picture of forgiveness and gratitude if you have time.

  1. Read Luke 7:36–39, then 7:40–48.
  2. Explain that a penny (a denarius) was a day’s pay for a laborer (Matthew 20:2), so one debt was well over a year’s wages.
  3. Ask one or two questions.
💬 Ask the class
  • Simon didn’t think he needed much forgiving. How does that attitude creep into our lives?
  • How are love and forgiveness connected in this story?
  • Jesus asked Simon, “Seest thou this woman?” Who might we be failing to see?

On the screen: 🏺 Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much. · Luke 7:36–50

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A light, friendly review if you finish early.

  1. Split the room down the middle into two teams.
  2. Launch Scripture Showdown on your phone or tablet and read each question aloud.
  3. After each reveal, read the reference so people can mark it.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

On the screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: how well do you know this week’s miracles?

Read it together

Through the Roof

Mark 2:1–12 ↗

Reading parts

  • Reader 1Reads Mark 2:3–4, the four friends and the roof. You’re reading scripture, not playing a character.
  • Reader 2Reads Mark 2:6–7, the scribes’ silent objection.
  • The ClassEveryone reads Mark 2:12 together.

Scenes

  1. 🏠 A packed house in Capernaum

    Jesus is back in Capernaum, and word spreads that He is in the house. So many people crowd in that there is no room even around the door. He is teaching them.

    🎬 The teacher reads Mark 2:1–2.

  2. 🛏️ Four friends and a mat

    Four men arrive carrying a friend who cannot walk. They can’t get anywhere near the door. Most people would have turned around and tried another day.

    🎬 Reader 1 reads Mark 2:3.

  3. 🔨 They broke up the roof

    Instead, they climb to the flat roof, dig through the beams, branches and packed earth, and lower the mat into the room. Picture the dust falling on the crowd while Jesus is speaking.

    🎬 Reader 1 reads Mark 2:4.

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

    Everyone expects a healing. Jesus looks at the faith in front of Him and speaks first about something no one can see.

    🎬 The teacher reads Mark 2:5. Pause and let it land.

  5. 🤔 “Who can forgive sins but God only?”

    Some scribes are sitting there, reasoning silently. They are right that only God can forgive sins. Jesus answers the question they never said out loud.

    🎬 Reader 2 reads Mark 2:6–7. The teacher reads verses 8–9.

  6. 🚶 “Arise, and take up thy bed”

    To show that He has power to forgive, Jesus does the thing everyone can see. The man stands up, picks up the mat his friends carried, and walks out in front of them all.

    🎬 The teacher reads Mark 2:10–11. The Class reads verse 12 together.

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.

Scripture Showdown6 questions

  1. How many people carried the man sick of the palsy?
    • A. Two
    • B. Four
    • C. Twelve
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Four Mark 2:3: he was “borne of four.”

  2. How did they get him to Jesus?
    • A. Through a window
    • B. They waited until the crowd left
    • C. They broke up the roof and let him down
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They broke up the roof and let him down Mark 2:4: they uncovered the roof and lowered the bed.

  3. What did Jesus say to the man first?
    • A. Son, thy sins be forgiven thee
    • B. Arise, and walk
    • C. Go, shew thyself to the priest
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Son, thy sins be forgiven thee Mark 2:5. The healing came afterward, as proof of His power to forgive.

  4. Who did Jesus say has need of the physician?
    • A. The righteous
    • B. They that are sick
    • C. The scribes
    Show answer

    ✅ B. They that are sick Mark 2:17: He came to call sinners to repentance.

  5. What did the disciples ask Jesus during the storm?
    • A. Where are we going?
    • B. Why did we leave the shore?
    • C. Master, carest thou not that we perish?
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Master, carest thou not that we perish? Mark 4:38. Jesus answered with “Peace, be still.”

  6. Whose only son did Jesus raise at the gate of Nain?
    • A. A widow’s
    • B. A centurion’s
    • C. A Pharisee’s
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A widow’s Luke 7:12–15: He had compassion on her and said, “Weep not.”

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

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 or after the last question you use.

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 and trust His power to forgive. Then pick up one corner of someone else’s mat: a ride, a meal, a visit, an invitation, or a quiet prayer with their name in it. If you’re 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 and even broke open a roof to get him there. Jesus forgave his sins first, then healed him (Mark 2:5, 10–11). Take it home: at dinner, talk about who has “carried” your family through a hard time, and choose 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. Read Luke 7:2–9, the centurion’s servant.
  2. Point out the contrast: the elders said the centurion was worthy (7:4), but he said he was not worthy (7:6).
  3. Ask: “Why might humility and great faith go together?”

⚱️ The Widow of Nain · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 7:11–16.
  2. Point out that no one asked Jesus for help; He saw her and “had compassion on her” (7:13).
  3. Ask: “What does this teach about how the Savior notices people who are too grief-stricken to ask?”

✋ Stretch Forth Thine Hand · 4 min

  1. Read Mark 3:1–5, the withered hand 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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