How it works
The Bible tells us about a man who could not walk. He lay on a mat all day, but he had four good friends.
When they heard Jesus was home in Capernaum, they carried him there on his mat. The house was so full that nobody could get near the door.
So the friends climbed the steps up the outside wall to the flat roof and dug a hole through it. In those days roofs were made of branches and clay.
They lowered the mat on ropes, right in front of Jesus. He told the man to get up, pick up his mat and go home, and the man walked out carrying it.
Worked examples
Put the plan in order
- First the friends carried the man on his mat.
- Then they found the door blocked, so they went up the steps to the roof.
- Next they dug through the sticks and clay.
- Last they lowered the mat on ropes until it touched the floor.
Why the roof?
- Read the problem: the crowd was packed too tight, so nobody could get near the door.
- The friends did not give up.
- The story says the roof was made of sticks, branches and clay, so they could dig through it.