Chapter XX.
THE CURE OF THE PARALYTIC, AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
[Mark 2, 1 — 12. Mat. 9, 1 — 8. Luke 5, 17 — 26.]
JESUS returned to Capharnaum, and, as He was teaching in a private house, a great multitude of people, coming to hear Him, filled the house and crowded round it. But behold, four men brought a paralytic [1] on a bed, and as they could not get near to Jesus on account of the throng[2], they went up on the roof[3] of the house, and making an opening[4], let down the paralytic in his bed.
Jesus, seeing their faith[5], said: “Son, be of good heart, thy sins[6] are forgiven thee.”
Now there were among the crowd some Scribes and Pharisees[7], who, hearing these words, thought within themselves: “He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said to them: “Why do you think evil in your hearts? Which is easier[8], to say: ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee?’ or to say: ‘Rise up, take thy bed and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, I say to thee: ‘Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.’”
- ↑ A paralytic, i. e. one who was wholly paralysed, so that he could use none of his limbs, but had to be carried about.
- ↑ The throng. The people being packed together as tightly as they could be in the passages and rooms, passing through was quite an impossibility.
- ↑ On the roof. A staircase on the outside of the house led directly to the roof.
- ↑ An opening. By removing a part of the roof, which was at the same time the ceiling of the room below.
- ↑ Their faith. The extraordinary amount of trouble they had taken to convey the sick man to Jesus as speedily as possible, proved both their faith and their desire for help.
- ↑ Thy sins. As the lame man lay before Jesus and raised his eyes to Him, he trembled before the Holy One of God, and, contrite and abashed, cast down his eyes. But Jesus beheld his contrition, and tenderly, addressing him as “Son”, comforted him and forgave him his sins.
- ↑ Scribes and Pharisees. Our Lord’s miracles and increasing fame in Galilee bad stirred up the Pharisees and Scribes throughout the whole land. They came to Capharnaum not only from Galilee, but also from Judaea and Jerusalem to watch Jesus (Luke 5, 17).
- ↑ Which is easier? It is easy enough to say the first, for nobody can look into a man’s soul, and see whether he be really cleansed from sin or not. Any deceiver or false prophet could say such words without his deception being proved; but to say to a lame man “Rise up and walk” is a very much harder thing, for it can be proved on the spot whether his words have any power or no.
