Text Version | Afrikaans | Italian
“That's it, isn't it? That's the big surprise,” said the man excitedly as he watched his friend stitching his bed. “You're sewing those straps on my bed so that I can go everywhere with you. That's the surprise, isn't it?” The man wanted to jump up from the floor where he lay and hug his friend but his paralysed body wouldn't let him.
“No,” said his friend laughing.“This isn't it. It's much better than this. Just you wait and see.” He started to hook twine through the straps he had sewn in each of the four corners.
At that moment, three other men arrived. They saw the bed and nodded in agreement. “That'll do it,” they said.
“What?” said the paralysed man, nearly bursting with excitement. “Do what? What will it do? Please tell me what the surprise is.”
“You'll see,” said the three as they picked the man off the floor and laid him carefully down on his bed. Each of the four friends took hold of a length of twine, and, facing forward, they hooked it over their shoulder, lifting the bed.
On the count of three, they sped from the house into the dusty town. At great speed, they darted down narrow streets past deserted houses. Without so much as slowing up for the corners, they skidded round each bend.
“Wow!” shouted the man. “This is it! This is the big surprise — a crazy, death defying ride through the streets of Capernaum. This is a great surprise!”
“No!” shouted the men. “This isn't it. The surprise is much better than this.”
Soon they arrived outside a building by the lake of Galilee. It was crowded about with people. There was no way through the front door. The four friends looked dejected at the thought of not being able to get inside. Then one of them had a great idea. “The roof,” he said and the others agreed.
“What are you doing?” said the man as they hauled him up onto the flat roof of the crowded building.
“You'll see!” they said as they frantically removed the slates from the roof and dug a big hole to lower him through.
“Is this it? Is this the big surprise?” said the man a little concerned now. “I think I'd rather go on another race through the streets if it's all the same to you.”
“No!” said his friends as they started to lower him down through the hole. “You'll see.”
The paralysed man lay stiffly in the middle of his bed as his four friends lowered him into the building. They set him down right in front of a man who smiled down at him.
“So that's the big surprise!” thought the paralysed man. “Wow! My friends must have so much faith. This really is the best surprise ever,” and he looked up into the Face of Jesus.
THINK!
1. Why couldn't his friends carry the paralyzed man through the door to Jesus?
2. Were the friends discouraged by this difficulty they encountered?
3. What final plan did they make to get their friend to Jesus?
4. Do you think they had great faith to bring the man to Jesus?
5. What is faith?
REMEMBER
A friend is always worth the effort!
A VERSE TO LEARN
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39b).
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Do you like surprises? What sort of surprise do you like best? What was your biggest surprise? Did it make you happy?
Have you ever surprised someone else? Did you enjoy surprising them? Have you ever helped a friend less fortunate than yourself? How did it make you feel?
What was the big surprise his friends gave the paralyzed man? Do you think Jesus was happy to see the paralyzed man and his friends even though they broke the roof to reach Him?
[After discussion:] Jesus loves for us to help others and make them happy. What are some ways you could surprise your parents or grandparents, siblings, friends or teacher, or especially someone you know is struggling? Remember, the biggest gift you can give someone is when you tell them about Jesus and with faith bring them to Him in prayer.
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear Lord, please help me to help others.
Please teach me to know that it makes You happy
when I give my time so that other people benefit.
Thank You for the help You give me.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26
JUST FOR FUN
Crossword Puzzle (online)
Jigsaw Puzzle (online)
Word Scramble (online)
Word Search (online)
5-Minute Sunday School Activities:
Jesus' Miracles and Messages
Through the Roof (online)
Worksheet (online)
Best Book of Bible Activities
Bible Puzzles: Word Search
Big Book Of Bible Puzzles
Big Book Of Bible Story Activity Pages V1
Bingo
Children's Activity Books
Children's Puzzles
Christian and educational toys
Crossword Books
Encyclopedia Of Bible Games For Children's Ministry
Games
Jumbo Bible Activity Book 4
Memory Verse Games for Kids
Sticker Books
The Humongous Book of Games for Children's Ministry
The Super Sized Book of Bible Puzzles
I'm So Happy and Here's the Reason Why (lyrics and audio online)
My God Is So Big, So Strong and So Mighty (lyrics and video online)
100 Ways To Know God Loves Me & 100 Songs
100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs
Action Bible Songs
Bible Songs on CD
Bible Songs on DVD
150 All-Time Favorite Veggietunes
100 Singalong Bible Songs For Kids
Platinum Bible Collection of Classic Christian Songs on DVD
The Bible in a Minute (sing along)
25 Favorite Sunday School Songs
Children's Music
Beginner Coloring Page (online)
Lame Man Is Lowered Down Through the Roof (online)
Color the Bible Verse (online)
Jesus Healing a Lame Man (online)
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Colour and Learn)
Action Bible Coloring Book
Coloring Through the Bible
Beginner's Bible Super-Duper Mighty Jumbo Coloring Book
Bible Stories Kids Love Coloring Book (ages 2 to 4)
Big Book of Bible Story Coloring Pages for Elementary Kids
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know, Coloring Book
My Bible Coloring Book
My Gospel Story by Colors--Activity Book
My Jumbo Bible Story Coloring Book
The Super-Sized Book of Bible Coloring & Art
The Super-Sized Book of Bible Verse Coloring Pages
Children's Bible Coloring Books
Arch Books Bible Stories: Jesus' First Miracle
Down Through the Roof (Arch Books)
Down Through the Roof (read online)
Miracles of Jesus (I Can Read)
Miracles of Jesus (Little Golden Book)
The Broken Roof
The Ministry of Jesus Christ (listen and read online)
Beginner's Bible
Beginner's Bible for Little Ones
Bible in Pictures For Toddlers
Bible stories
Children's Books
Early Reader's Bible
100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs w/2 CD
Pilgrim's Progress Comic
Spanish Children's Books
365 Activities For Kids:
A Bible Story And Activity For Each Day Of The Year
365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories
The Children's Illustrated Bible
The Picture Bible (also in Spanish)
The Preschooler's Bible
Toddler's Bible
Arise and Walk Craft (online)
Man Lowered Down through the Roof Craft (online)
Bible Crafts
Bible Crafts & More (Ages 3-6)
Bible Craft Videos (online)
Crafting the Word of God
Easy-to-Make Bible Crafts PDF for Kids
& Digital Album Download [PDF Download]
Encyclopedia Of Bible Crafts For Preschoolers
Hot Crafts for Cool Kids pdf download
Maker-ific WOWS! (ages 8-12): 54 Surprising Bible Crafts
More! Bible Crafts on a Shoe String Budget:
Paper Sacks & Cardboard Tubes
(Reproducible: Ages 5-10)
Puppet Crafts For Kids
Down Through the Roof (listen online)
The Four Friends (online)
Animated Bible Stories: Miracles of Jesus (watch online)
Bible on the Go Vol. 35:
Baptism, Temptation, Disciples, and Miracles of Jesus
Miracles of Jesus (Bible Animated Classics)
Greatest Heroes & Legends: Miracles of Jesus (online)
Jesus Storybook Bible Animated DVD Vol. 3
Miracles of Jesus Superbook DVD
Superbook: Miracles of Jesus (watch online)
Through the Roof (watch online)
What's in the Bible: What Is the Bible?
Jesus Is the Good News
All the Shows, Volume 1: 1993-1999
Do You Wonder Why? (watch online)
God's Story from Creation to Eternity (listen & watch online)
Read and Share DVD Bible
The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum Kit
Bible story DVDs
Children's DVDs
TEACHER'S RESOURCES
All the Miracles of the Bible
Bible Study Tools: Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum (online)
Four Friends (online)
Jesus Heals a Lame Man (online)
Through the Roof (online)
Free Bible story images
801 Questions Kids Ask About God
Absentee Postcards
African American Resources
Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher
Bible for Children in 232 languages
Children's Ministry
Bible Memory Match Game
My Jumbo Bible Story Coloring Book
The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum Kit
Big Book of Bible Games
Bulletin Board helps
Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul
Children's Ministry Volunteers That Stick
Children's Sermon
Church Supplies
Closing Prayer
FREE materials to Bible schools, Bible colleges, seminaries,
churches, missionaries & individuals worldwide
52 Games That Teach The Bible
Free educational videos
God's Servants Teach Me
God's Wisdom for Little Boys:
Character-Building Fun from Proverbs
Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher
How To Lead a Child To Christ
King James Version Gift & Award Bibles
Leading Little Ones to God:
A Child's Book of Bible Teachings
Lord Teach Me To Pray For Kids
Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours
Memory Verse Resources
Object Talks
Opening Prayer
Parenting Resources
Pray & Play Bible for Young Children
Puppet Scripts
Review Activities for Bible Lessons
Seven Laws of the Learner
Spanish Resources
Sunday school resources
Sunday School Songs: Lyrics and Tunes (online)
Talking to God
Teachers' Reproducible Classroom Pages
Teaching Children Memory Verses Ages 4-5
Teaching Children To Pray Ages 4-5
Teaching to Change Lives
The Beginner's Bible Curriculum Kit
The Humongous Book of Bible Skits
for Children's Ministry
Vacation Bible School
What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know
Children's resources
BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE
childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html
Copyright © 2022 by Steven Wilson.
You may NOT re-post this Bible story.
However, you may freely link to it,
provided visitors can see our web address
when they click on the link.
Free Bible Stories!
To receive a new Bible story each week, enter your e-mail address under “Subscribe...” at
You will be sent a message requesting confirmation of your subscription request.
IMPORTANT! YOU MUST REPLY to this confirmation request to activate your subscription to this list.
Copyright © 2022 - www.childrenschapel.org
Pictures Courtesy of Free Bible Images
Webmaster
Last updated June 26, 2022
Welcome!/
What's Here/
Bible Stories/
E-Mail Us/
Around the Piano/
4 Things
Events/
Children's Chapel/
Adult Chapel/
Missing Link/
Links/
Resources
