Healing of a Paralytic

Continuing with Fouard's Life of Christ:

IV: Healing of a Paralytic

Luke v. 17-26; Mark ii. 1-12; Matt. ix. 1-8.

The precautions taken by the Saviour had not been unnecessary; not many days after the healing of the leper, on returning to Capharnaum, He found numbers of Pharisees and Scribes gathered together there, not only from Galilee, but from Judaea and from Jerusalem.  Their hatred shown Him by the Sanhedrin, which had been the cause of Jesus’ departure from Judaea, leaves hardly any doubt but that these doctors were commissioned to spy upon the new Prophet, in order to detect Him in some offence, as well as to try and discover His ultimate designs.

The paralytic lowered before Christ. J-J Tissot.

Accordingly as soon as rumours of His arrival began to be circulated through the town we see them hurrying along with the populace, and the first to enter the house where the Saviour was; there they seated themselves within the inmost circle of those about him, bent upon hearing and observing everything.  A crowd of citizens, which on this day was denser than ever, had filled the dwelling, and kept searching about the outer doors; so that it was quite impossible to find access to any part of it.  Jesus, Who had remained seated, was teaching them according to His custom, when suddenly, above their heads, hands were seen making an opening in the ceiling of earth and clods (of which the roofs of houses in the East are often composed), and then four men proceeded at once to let down a pallet, on which a poor invalid was lying.  It was a paralytic, who had seized upon this expedient so to reach the great Healer.  Those who were carrying him, losing all hopes of forcing an entrance through the multitudes, had drawn him up to the roof, and tearing away the rafters with the clay tiling, had by this means managed to deposit their burden at the very feet of Jesus.

This deed, more eloquent than any words, and their faith, which would not stop to consider any obstacles, touched the heart of the Divine Master, and He granted to the sufferer even more than he had dared to hope for.

"My son," He said, "take courage; your sins are forgiven you."

The sufferings of the paralytic were doubtless a result, or perhaps a punishment, of past wrongdoing; and Jesus, by His divine power penetrating to the very root of the evil, worked the cure of soul and body at one and the same time.

This speech scandalised the Scribes, seated about the Saviour; for the power of remitting sins, which He assumed, belongs only to God.  Jesus saw their glowering countenances and the menace that gleamed in their eyes.  In the bottom of their hearts, perhaps even upon their lips, He could easily hear their mutterings, " What does this man mean to say?  He is blaspheming.  Who can remit sins except God?"

"Why he do you think evil things in your heart?" He answered them, "Which is it easier to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins of forgiven you,’ or to say to him, ‘Rise up; take your bed, and go into your house?’"

The question left them no room for evasion; for if upon the first of these claims He could not be convicted of imposture, still they thought it might not be the same as regards the second, although it would require a miracle to sustain it.  Yet to make this avowal before Jesus might even be to furnish Him with another weapon against them, and they would thus expose themselves to be brought to confusion upon the spot.

The Scribes perceived this, and mistrustful as to what might be the power of the Christ, they remained silent.

Knowing their thoughts, He proceeded:

"Now, that you may know the Son of Man has power on the earth to remit sins," He turned to the paralytic, "I say to thee: Arise; take up the dead, and go into thy house!"

The sick man rose up directly, took the pallet on which he had been lying, and threading his way through the swaying masses of people, returned to his home, glorifying God.

Those who witnessed the miracle were at first as if struck dumb with amazement; but their wondering delight soon found tongue and voice, and they said to each other, with tremulous lips and bated breath,

"We have seen marvellous things today!"

While others began to glorify God, acknowledging in this deed a prodigy such as never before had greeted their eyes, and they praised the Lord God for having bestowed such power upon man.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam