When “Sami” met Jesus…Encounters with Jesus

Reaching Jesus Through the Roof by David Duncan at David’s Daily Dose

Greetings. My name is Samiya, but my friends call me Sami. I’m a carpenter from Capernaum. Would you believe I once worked with Jesus of Nazareth? It was back when he was a carpenter too. But then came my accident.

One day, some other carpenter friends were helping me hoist a heavy wooden beam. Suddenly, a rope broke, sending the giant timber crashing down on my back. When my coworkers pulled it off me, I could no longer feel my legs or move them. 

Well, I couldn’t be a full-fledged woodworker after that, so my friends carried me down to the town market every morning on a mat. There, I sold toys carved out of wood. 

One day I heard some excited talk, in the booth next to mine, “Jesus is coming to Capernaum tomorrow! He’s a holy teacher now, and God gives him the power to heal people.” When they said the street and the house, I knew right where it was. I once worked a job there.

The next day, I convinced my friends to take me to where Jesus was, rather than my usual place at the market.  I wondered if he would remember me, from when we worked together. Would he be willing to heal me? 

My carpenter buddies carried me there on my mat. But when we got to the house, it was so packed with people they were spilling out the door!  No way were we getting in! 

Then one of my friends had an idea: “Doesn’t this house have an earth and tile roof?” He was right! And it wouldn’t be too hard to get up there. “Let’s dig down and remove enough tiles to lower you—right in front of Jesus,” he continued.  “Hey, this could work!” said another.

Well, as you can imagine, four carpenters can create a custom sky light in no time, especially with me supervising! My buddies were soon lowering me down through a hole in the roof, with ropes attached to my mat. The crowd looked up and Jesus stopped speaking. 

His smile said he was pleased by how much trouble we were willing to go to get to him. He seemed fascinated by our faith. When I got down to his level, Jesus’ smile widened, and his kind eyes twinkled. “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20 (NIV) He remembered me!  

But just then, there was a different feel in the room. Looking around, I realized we were surrounded by religious rulers and teachers of the law.  I don’t think any of them were from Capernaum, and their fancy robes and shiny leather sandals proved it. They were all sneering at Jesus and me.

​Condescending glares from Pharisees, and the like, were nothing new. They believed my accident and injury happened because I had sinned against God. Frankly, I’d begun to believe it myself. And now Jesus said I was pardoned! 

He seemed to know their thoughts. Staring back at them, he said, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’” Luke 5:22-23 (NIV) 

None of them answered him. After a lingering pause, he turned to me and said, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” 

Straightaway, I could feel my legs again, and without even thinking I leapt to my feet! “Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you!” I kept saying it over again, and everybody in the house—except the religious leaders—was praising God as well.

Of course, I went right home, to tell my wife and children what happened, but not before helping my four friends fix the hole in the roof. It was the first time I’d climbed up on a house in three years. 

It’s overwhelming to know that Jesus, a man I once knew as a fellow carpenter, healed me by the power of God! And I might have never seen him again if it hadn’t been for my friends who were willing to do whatever it took to help me. 

*Note to the reader: this story is historical fiction based on the biblical narrative. The account of the man who was lowered by his friends through the roof—to be healed by Jesus—is found in Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, and Luke 5:17-26.

My thanks to David for this engaging and thought provoking account of this remarkable meeting between the paralysed man and Jesus which we read about in the gospels. What struck you about the encounter? Please comment below.

You can find more of David’s great writing on his site https://davidsdailydose.org

Have a blessed day friends and there are more Encounters with Jesus to come..