Hebrews was concerned about the unbelief of the Israelites when Moses was leading them to the promised land. Those who had been unfaithful had not been allowed to enter. It compared the unfaithfulness of the Israelites with the faithfulness required of Christians if they were to enter God's rest. What is God's rest? For Christians, the deep desire is to be with the Lord for all eternity. But that requires obedience. It requires being open to God and not hardening our hearts. The writer encourages us to listen and be obedient so that we may be welcomed into God's presence.

Jesus had been out in the villages preaching and teaching and healing. When he returned to Capernaum, such a large crowd gathered that the door was blocked. Therefore, some people lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof and Jesus was amazed at their faith. Previously Jesus had said that his main purpose was to proclaim the message of God's love, so it isn't surprising that he forgave the man's sins prior to healing him. When the scribes questioned Jesus' ability to forgive sins, he healed the man to show that he did have that authority. Jesus asserted his own authority over that of the scribes and all human reasoning. Two things are important - the faith of the paralyzed man and his friends and the authority and power and love of Jesus.