Yet it was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God's will. The cry of the dying man was, Oh that I might come into His presence! There was no time to lose; already his wasted flesh was showing signs of decay. He besought his friends to carry him on his bed to Jesus, and this they gladly undertook to do. But so dense was the crowd that had assembled in and about the house where the Saviour was, that it was impossible for the sick man and his friends to reach Him, or even to come within hearing of His voice.

Alligevel higede han ikke så meget efter legemlig helbredelse som efter at blive befriet for syndens byrde. Hvis han kunne møde Jesus og få forvisning om tilgivelse og fred med Himmelen, så ville han være tilfreds med at leve eller dø, eftersom Gud ville det. Dette var den døende mands store ønske: Ah, om jeg dog blot kunne komme hen til ham! Der var ingen tid at spilde, hans udtærede legeme viste allerede tegn til at gå i opløsning. Han bønfaldt sine venner om at bære ham på hans leje hen til Jesus, og de påtog sig med glæde dette. Men så tæt stod den menneskemængde, der havde samlet sig i og omkring det hus, hvor Frelseren var, at det var umuligt for den syge og hans venner at nå hen til ham eller blot komme inden for hørevidde.