Homily on the Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

We found this wealth stored in great abundance in the soul of the paralyzed man. And you are witnesses, because with great zeal you drew from this treasure again and again without exhausting it. For that is the nature of spiritual wealth. It is like fountains of water, or rather it goes beyond their abundance, because it is most plentiful when many draw from it. When it enters a person's soul, it is not divided or reduced. It comes whole to each one and remains continually unspent, since it can never fail. And that is exactly what happened then. For though so many have come to this treasure, and all are drawing from it as much as they can—why do I speak only of you, since from that time until the present day it has made countless people rich, and still remains in its original perfection? Let us not grow weary, then, in coming to this source of spiritual wealth. But as far as possible, let us now also draw from it, and let us look at our merciful Lord and look at His patient servant. He had been struggling for thirty-eight years with an incurable sickness and was constantly afflicted by it. Yet he did not complain, he did not speak a blasphemous word, he did not accuse his Maker, but endured his calamity bravely and with great meekness. And how is this clear, you say? For Scripture has not told us anything plainly about his earlier life, but only that he had been in his sickness for thirty-eight years. It has not added a word to prove that he did not show discontent, anger, or irritability. And yet Scripture has made this clear also, if anyone pays close attention to it and does not read it in a curious and careless way. For when you hear that at the coming of Christ, who was a stranger to him and was regarded only as a man, he spoke to Him with such great meekness, you can understand his former wisdom. For when Jesus said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" he did not give the natural reply: "You see me lying here, paralyzed for so long, and do you ask whether I want to be made well? Have you come to insult my distress, to reproach me, to laugh at me, and to mock my calamity?" He did not say or even think anything like this, but answered meekly, "Yes, Lord." Now if after thirty-eight years he was so meek and gentle, when all the vigor and strength of his reasoning powers had been worn down, consider what he was likely to have been at the beginning of his trouble. For be sure of this: sick people are not as hard to please at the beginning of their illness as they are after a long time has passed. They become most difficult and most unbearable to everyone when the sickness continues. But since after so many years he was so wise and answered with such patience, it is very clear that during the earlier time also he had been bearing that calamity with great thankfulness.

Thinking about these things, let us imitate the patience of our fellow servant. His paralysis is enough to strengthen our souls. After seeing how great that affliction was, no one can be so lazy and careless as not to endure bravely whatever troubles may come upon him, even if they are more unbearable than any ever known. For not only his health, but also his sickness, has become a cause of the greatest benefit to us. His healing has stirred the souls of the hearers to speak praise to the Lord, and his sickness and weakness have encouraged you to be patient and moved you to equal his zeal. Or rather, it has shown you the lovingkindness of God. For the very fact that the man was given over to such a disease, and that his weakness lasted so long, is a sign of God's greatest care for his well-being. For just as a gold refiner throws a piece of gold into the furnace and lets it be tested by the fire until he sees that it has become purer, so also God allows the souls of men to be tested by troubles until they become pure and clear and have gained much profit from this refining. Therefore, this is the greatest kind of benefit.

Let us not be troubled or dismayed when trials come upon us. If a gold refiner knows how long he should leave a piece of gold in the furnace, and when he should take it out, and does not let it stay in the fire until it is ruined and burned up, then God understands this much more. When He sees that we have become more pure, He releases us from our trials, so that we may not be overwhelmed and cast down by the increase of our troubles. Let us not complain or lose heart when something unexpected happens to us. Instead, let us allow Him, who knows these things exactly, to test our hearts by fire as long as He pleases. For He does this for a useful purpose and for the benefit of those who are tested.

For this reason, a certain wise man warns us, saying, “My son, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation. Set your heart right, and constantly endure, and do not make haste in time of trouble.” Sirach 2:1-2. “Yield to Him,” he says, “in all things,” for He knows exactly when it is right to pull us out of the furnace of evil. Therefore we ought everywhere to yield to Him, and always to give thanks, and to bear all things contentedly, whether He bestows benefits or chastisement upon us, for this too is a kind of benefit. For a physician is still a physician, not only when he bathes and nourishes the sick man and leads him into pleasant gardens, but also when he uses cautery and the knife. And a father is still a father, not only when he shows affection to his son, but also when he drives him from his house, and when he rebukes and scourges him. He is no less a father then than when he praises him. Knowing, then, that God is more tenderly loving than all physicians, do not ask too curiously about His treatment, nor demand an account of it from Him. But whether He is pleased to let us go free, or whether He punishes, let us offer ourselves equally for both. For by each of these He seeks to lead us back to health, and to communion with Himself. He knows the different needs of each one, and what is expedient for each one, and how and in what way we ought to be saved. Along that path He leads us. Let us then follow wherever He tells us to go. Let us not examine too carefully whether He commands us to go by a smooth and easy path, or by a hard and rough one, as in the case of this paralytic. It was indeed one kind of benefit that his soul should be purged by the long duration of his affliction, being handed over to the fiery trial of affliction as to a kind of furnace. But it was another benefit, no less than this, that God was present with him in the midst of the trials, and gave him great consolation. He was the One who strengthened him, and upheld him, and stretched out a hand to him, and did not allow him to fall. But when you hear that it was God Himself, do not rob the paralytic of his praise, neither him nor any other man who is tried and yet endures steadfastly. For even if we are exceedingly wise, even if we are mightier and stronger than all men, yet without His grace we will not be able to withstand even the most ordinary temptation. And why do I speak of such small and lowly beings as we are? For even if someone were Paul, or Peter, or James, or John, yet if he were deprived of divine help, he would easily be put to shame, overthrown, and laid low. And on behalf of these I will read to you the words of Christ Himself. For He says to Peter, “Behold, Satan has asked to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:31-32. What does “sift” mean? It means to turn and twist, and shake and stir, and shatter and trouble, which is what happens to things that are winnowed. “But I,” He says, “have restrained him,” knowing that you are not able to endure the trial. For the words “that your faith may not fail” are the words of One showing that if He had allowed it, his faith would have failed. Now if Peter, who was such a fervent lover of Christ, and had exposed his life for Him countless times, and sprang into the front rank of the Apostolic band, and was declared blessed by his Master, and was called Peter for this reason, because he held firmly and unshakably to the faith, would have been swept away and fallen from his confession if Christ had allowed the devil to test him as much as he wanted, what other man will be able to stand apart from His help? Therefore Paul also says, “But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13. For not only does he say that God does not allow a trial to come upon us beyond our strength, but even when the trial is within our strength, He is present, carrying us through it and strengthening us, if only we ourselves first contribute what is in our power, such as zeal, hope in Him, thanksgiving, endurance, and patience. For not only in dangers that are beyond our strength, but also in those that are proportioned to it, we need divine help, if we are to stand bravely. For elsewhere also it is said, “Even as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” So then, He who comforted this man is the same One who allowed the trial to come upon him. And now notice what tenderness He shows after the healing. For He did not leave him and go away. Instead, after finding him in the temple, He says, “Behold, you are made whole; sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to you.” John 5:14. For if He had allowed the punishment because He hated him, He would not have released him. He would not have provided for his future safety. But the words “lest some worse thing happen to you” are the words of One who would prevent future evils beforehand. He put an end to the disease, but He did not put an end to the struggle. He drove out the infirmity, but He did not drive out the dread of it, so that the benefit that had been worked might remain unmoved. This is what a tender-hearted physician does: not only to end present pains, but also to provide for future safety. Christ did this also, strengthening his soul by the recollection of past events. For seeing that when the things that trouble us have gone away, the recollection of them often goes away with them, and wishing it to remain continually, He says, “Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to you.”

Moreover, it is possible to see His forethought and care not only from this, but also from what seems to be a rebuke. For He did not make a public exposure of the man's sins. Yet He told him that he suffered what he did suffer because of his sins, but He did not reveal what those sins were. Nor did He say, "You have sinned," or, "You have transgressed." He indicated the fact by one simple statement: "Sin no more." And after saying just enough to remind him of it, He made him more watchful against future things. At the same time, He showed us all the man's patience, courage, and wisdom, after reducing him to the necessity of publicly lamenting his calamity, and after displaying His own earnestness on the man's behalf. For he says, "While I am coming, another steps down before me," John 5:7. Yet He did not publicly expose his sins. For just as we ourselves want to draw a veil over our sins, so God does much more than we do. For this reason, He worked the cure in the presence of all, but He gave the exhortation, or the advice, privately. For He never makes a public display of our sins, except when He sees that people are insensible to them. For when He says, "You saw me hungry, and fed me not; and thirsty, and gave me no drink," Matthew 25:12, He speaks this way now so that we may not hear these words in the time to come. He threatens. He exposes us in this world, so that He may not have to expose us in the other. Just as He threatened to overthrow the city of the Ninevites, Jonah 1:2, for the very reason that He might not overthrow it. For if He wished to publish our sins, He would not announce beforehand that He would publish them. But as it is, He does make this announcement so that, being sobered by the fear of exposure, if not also by the fear of punishment, we may purge ourselves from them all. This also is what takes place in the case of baptism. He leads the man to the pool of water without disclosing his sins to anyone. Yet He publicly presents the gift and makes it plain to all, while the man's sins are known to no one except God Himself and the one who receives forgiveness of them. This also is what took place in the case of this paralytic. He makes the reproof without the presence of witnesses, or rather, the saying is not only a reproof but also a justification. He justifies Himself, as it were, for having so long evil-entreated him, telling him and proving to him that it was not without cause and purpose that He had allowed him to be afflicted for so long. For He reminded him of his sins and declared the cause of his infirmity. For after finding him in the temple, we read, He said to him, "Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to you."

And now, since we have gained so much benefit from the account of the first paralyzed man, let us turn to the other one presented to us in Saint Matthew's Gospel. For when someone finds a piece of gold in a mine, he digs further in the same place. And I know that many who read carelessly think that the same paralyzed man is presented by all four Evangelists. But that is not so. Therefore, you must stay alert and pay close attention to this matter. For this question is not about ordinary things, and when this discussion is properly explained, it will be useful against Greeks and Jews and many heretics. For all these accuse the Evangelists of being in conflict and disagreement. But this is not true—far from it! Although the outward appearance is different, the grace of the Spirit working in each person's soul is one. And where the grace of the Spirit is, there is love, joy, and peace. There is no war or argument, strife or contention there. How then shall we show that this paralyzed man is not the same as the other, but a different man? By many signs: from the place, the time, the season, the day, the manner of the healing, the coming of the physician, and the fact that the man who was healed was alone. And what of this? Someone will say, have not many of the Evangelists given different accounts of other signs? Yes, but it is one thing to make statements that are different, and another to make statements that contradict each other. The first causes no discord or conflict. But what is now before us would be a strong case of contradiction unless it is proved that the paralyzed man at the pool was different from the one described by the other three Evangelists. Now, so that you may understand the difference between statements that are different and statements that are contradictory, one of the Evangelists says that Christ carried the cross, John 19:17. Another says that Simon the Cyrenian carried it. But this creates no contradiction or conflict. And how, you ask, is there no contradiction between saying that He carried it and did not carry it? Because both happened. When they went out of the Praetorium, Christ was carrying it. But as they went on, Simon took it from Him and carried it. Again, in the case of the robbers, one says that both blasphemed, while another says that one of them rebuked the one who was insulting the Lord, Luke 23:40. Yet even here there is no contradiction, because both things happened here also. At first, both men behaved wickedly. But afterward, when the signs took place, when the earth shook and the rocks were split and the sun was darkened, one of them was changed. He became more restrained, recognized the One who was crucified, and confessed His kingdom. For so that you may not think this happened by some force pushing him from within, and so that your confusion may be removed, the Evangelist shows you the man on the cross still holding to his former wickedness. This is so that you may understand that his conversion happened from within, from his own heart, with the help of the grace of God. And so he became a better man.

4. It is possible to gather many other examples like this from the Gospels. They may seem to suggest a contradiction, when there is really no contradiction. The truth is that one writer tells some events, and another writer tells others. Or, if the events did not happen at the same time, one author may tell the earlier event and another the later one. But in the present case, nothing like that is involved. Instead, the many proofs I have mentioned show anyone who pays any attention at all to the matter that the paralyzed man was not the same man in both cases. And this would be no small proof that the evangelists were in harmony with one another and not in conflict. For if it were the same man, the disagreement between the two accounts would be great. But if it is a different man, every basis for dispute has been removed.

Well then, let me now state the real reasons why I say that this man is not the same as the other one. What are they? One was healed in Jerusalem, the other in Capernaum. One was by the pool of water, the other in a house. There is the proof from the place. The first was healed during the festival. There is the proof from the special season. The first had suffered from his infirmity for thirty-eight years. About the other, the evangelist says nothing of that kind. There is the proof from the time. The first was healed on the Sabbath. There is the proof from the day. For if this man also had been healed on the Sabbath, Matthew would not have passed over that fact in silence, nor would the Jews who were present have kept quiet. For those who found fault for another reason, even when a man was not healed on the Sabbath, would have been even more violent in their accusation against Christ if they had gained an additional opportunity from the matter of the particular day. Moreover, this man was brought to Christ. To the other, Christ Himself came, and there was no one to help him. "Lord," he said, "I have no man." But this man had many who came to help him, and they even let him down through the roof. And Christ healed the other man's body before his soul. For after He had healed the paralysis, He then said, "Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more." But not so in this case. Here, after He had healed his soul, for He said to him, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you," He then healed his paralysis. So then, that this man is not the same as the other has been clearly shown by these proofs. But it now remains for us to turn to the beginning of the account and see how Christ healed the one and the other, and why He did it differently in each case. Why did He heal one on the Sabbath and the other not on the Sabbath? Why did He come Himself to one, but wait for the other to be brought to Him? Why did He heal the body of one first, and the soul of the other first? For He does not do these things without thought and purpose, since He is wise and prudent. Let us then pay attention and watch Him as He performs the healing. For if, in the case of physicians, when they use the knife or cautery or do anything else on a maimed and crippled patient, and cut off a limb, many people gather around the sick man and the physician who is doing these things, how much more should we do this here, since the physician is greater and the disease more severe. It is a disease that cannot be corrected by human skill, but only by divine grace. And in the former case, we have to see the skin being cut, and pus coming out, and blood flowing, and we must endure much distress from the sight. There is also great pain and sorrow, not only from seeing the wounds, but also from the suffering of those who undergo this burning or cutting. For no one is so hard-hearted as to stand by people suffering these things, and hear them crying out, without being overcome and shaken, and feeling deep sadness. Yet we endure all this because we want to watch the operation. But in this case, nothing like that is to be seen. There is no use of fire, no thrusting in of an instrument, no flow of blood, no pain, and no crying out by the patient. And the reason is the wisdom of the healer, which needs none of these outward helps, but is completely sufficient in itself. For it is enough that He simply speaks a command, and all distress comes to an end. And the wonder is not only that He brings about the cure with such ease, but also that He does it without pain, causing no trouble to those who are being healed.

Since the miracle is greater, the healing more important, and the pleasure given to the spectators mixed with no sorrow at all, let us now carefully look at Christ as He heals. “And He entered into a boat and crossed over and came into His own city. And behold, they brought to Him a man sick with palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the sick with palsy, ‘Son, be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven.’” Matthew 9:1-2 Now these men were below the centurion in faith, but above the helpless man by the pool. For the centurion neither invited the physician nor brought the sick man to the physician. Instead, he came to Him as to God and said, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Luke 7:7 These men did not invite the physician to the house, and in that way they are equal to the centurion. But they brought the sick man to the physician, and in that way they are below him, because they did not say, “Speak the word only.” Yet they are far better than the man lying by the pool. For he said, “Lord, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.” But these men knew that Christ had no need of water, or a pool, or anything else of that kind. Nevertheless, Christ not only freed the centurion’s servant, but also these other two men from their diseases. He did not say, “Because you have offered a smaller measure of faith, the cure you receive will be in the same measure.” Instead, He sent away the man who showed the greater faith with praise and honor, saying, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Luke 7:9 To the man who showed less faith than that one, He gave no praise, yet He did not withhold a cure from him. No, not even from the man who showed no faith at all. But just as physicians, when healing the same sickness, receive from some people a hundred gold pieces, from others half as much, from others less, and from some nothing at all, so also Christ received from the centurion a great and unspeakable measure of faith, from this man less, and from the other not even an ordinary amount, and yet He healed them all. Why then did He consider the man who had made no deposit of faith worthy of the benefit? Because his failure to show faith did not come from laziness or dullness of soul, but from ignorance of Christ, since he had never heard of any miracle done by Him, whether small or great. For this reason the man received pardon. In fact, the evangelist hints at this in an indirect way when he says, “for he knew not who it was,” John 5:13. He recognized Him only by sight when he met Him the second time.

There are some who say that this man was healed only because the people who brought him believed. But that is not the case. For when He saw their faith, this refers not only to those who brought the man, but also to the man who was brought. Why is that? You may ask, is one man healed because another has believed? For my part, I do not think so, unless because of young age or extreme weakness he is somehow unable to believe. How then, you ask, was it that in the case of the woman of Canaan, the mother believed but the daughter was cured? And how was it that the servant of the centurion who believed rose from the sick bed and was preserved? It was because the sick persons themselves were not able to believe. Hear what the woman of Canaan says: "My daughter is severely troubled by a demon," Matthew 15:22, "and sometimes she falls into the water and sometimes into the fire." How could she believe, when her mind was darkened and possessed by a demon, and she was never able to control herself, not being in her right senses? As in the case of the woman of Canaan, so also in the case of the centurion. His servant lay sick in the house, not knowing Christ Himself, nor who He was. How then was he to believe in One who was unknown to him, and of whom he had not yet had any experience? But in the case before us, we cannot say this, for the paralytic believed. How is this clear? From the very way he approached Christ. Do not simply notice the statement that they let the man down through the roof. Consider what a great thing it is for a sick man to have the courage to endure this. You surely know that sick people are often so fearful and hard to satisfy that they refuse the treatment given to them on their sick bed. They prefer bearing the pain that comes from their diseases to enduring the trouble caused by the remedies. But this man had the courage to go outside the house, to be carried into the middle of the marketplace, and to show himself before a crowd. Sick people often prefer to die under their disease rather than reveal their personal troubles. But this sick man did not act that way. When he saw that the meeting place was full, the ways in were blocked, and the harbor of refuge was obstructed, he agreed to be let down through the roof. So inventive is desire, and so rich in resource is love. For "he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened," Luke 11:10. The man did not say to his friends, "What does this mean? Why make all this commotion? Why press forward? Let us wait until the house is cleared and the gathering is over. The crowds will leave, and then we can come to Him privately and speak about these matters. Why expose my troubles before all these spectators, and let me down from the rooftop, and act in such an improper way?" The man said none of these things, either to himself or to those carrying him. Instead, he considered it an honor to have so many people witness his cure. And it was possible to see his faith not only from this, but also from Christ's own words. After he had been let down and presented, Christ said to him, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." When he heard these words, he was not offended. He did not complain. He did not say to the physician, "What do You mean by this? I came to be healed of one thing, and You heal another. This is an excuse, a pretense, and a cover for inability. Do You forgive sins, which cannot be seen?" He neither said nor thought any of these things. Instead, he waited and allowed the physician to use whatever method of healing He wished. For this reason also Christ did not go to him, but waited for him to come, so that He might show his faith to all. Could He not have made the entrance easy? But He did none of these things, in order to show the man's zeal and burning faith to all. For just as He went to the man who had been suffering for thirty-eight years because he had no one to help him, so He waited for this man to come to Him because he had many friends. In this way, He made this man's faith clear by his being brought to Him. And by going to the other man, He told us of that man's loneliness. He showed the eagerness of the one and the patience of the other to all, and especially to those who were present. For some jealous and cruel Jews were accustomed to resent the good done to their neighbors and to find fault with His miracles. Sometimes they did this because of the time, saying that He healed on the Sabbath day. Sometimes because of the life of those who received the benefit, saying, "If this man were a prophet, He would have known who the woman was who touched Him," Luke 7:39. They did not know that it is the special mark of a physician to be with the weak and to be constantly seen beside the sick, not to avoid them or hurry away from them. In fact, this is exactly what He said to those who were murmuring: "Those who are whole have no need of a physician, but those who are sick," Matthew 9:12. Therefore, to keep them from making the same accusations again, He first proves that those who come to Him deserve a cure because of the faith they show. For this reason He displayed the loneliness of one man, and the burning faith and zeal of the other. For this reason He healed the one on the Sabbath, and the other not on the Sabbath. This was so that, when you see them accusing and rebuking Christ on another day, you may understand that they had accused Him on the earlier occasion also, not because they respected the law, but because they could not restrain their own malice. But why did He not first address the healing of the paralytic, and instead say, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you"? He did this very wisely. For physicians have a habit of destroying the cause from which the sickness comes before they remove the sickness itself. For example, when the eyes are troubled by some bad fluid and corrupt discharge, the physician leaves aside treatment of the disordered sight and turns his attention to the head, where the root and source of the sickness is. In the same way Christ acted. He first restrains the source of the evil. For the source, root, and mother of all evil is the nature of sin. This is what weakens our bodies. This is what brings disease. Therefore, on this occasion also, He said, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And to the other He said, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you," showing to both that these diseases were the offspring of sin. At the very beginning, disease as the result of sin attacked the body of Cain. For after the murder of his brother, after that wicked deed, his body was struck with palsy. For trembling is the same as palsy. When the strength that governs a living creature becomes weak, and can no longer support all the limbs, it takes away their natural power of direction. Then, once they have become loosened, they tremble and reel.

Paul also showed this. For when he was reproaching the Corinthians for a certain sin, he said, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you.” Therefore Christ also first removes the cause of the evil. And after saying, “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you,” He lifts up the spirit and rouses the downcast soul. For the words became an effective cause. Entering into the conscience, they took hold of the soul itself and cast out from it all distress. For nothing creates pleasure and gives confidence so much as freedom from self-reproach. For where there is remission of sins, there is sonship. Indeed, we are not able to call God Father until we have washed away our sins in the pool of the sacred water. It is when we have come up from there, having put off that evil load, that we say, “Our Father who art in heaven.” But in the case of the man who had been infirm for thirty-eight years, why did He not act in this way, but heal his body first of all? Because through that long period of time his sins had been exhausted. For the greatness of a trial can lighten the load of sins. As indeed we read was the case with Lazarus, that he received his evil things in full, and after that was comforted. And again, in another place, we read, “Comfort my people; speak to the heart of Jerusalem, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins,” Isaiah 40:1-2. And again the prophet says, “O Lord, give us peace, for you have requited all things to us,” Isaiah 26:12, showing that penalties and punishments work forgiveness of sins. And we could prove this from many passages. It seems to me, then, that the reason He said nothing to that man about remission of sins, but only secured him against the future, was because the penalty for his sins had already been worked out by the long duration of his sickness. Or, if this was not the reason, it was because he had not yet reached any high degree of belief concerning Christ. So the Lord first addressed Himself to the lesser need, and one that was clear and obvious, the health of the body. But in the case of the other man He did not act in this way. Since this man had more faith, and a loftier soul, He spoke to him first of all concerning the more dangerous disease. He did this also to show His equality of rank with the Father. For just as in the former case He healed on the Sabbath day because He wished to lead men away from the Jewish way of observing it, and to take occasion from their reproaches to prove Himself equal with the Father, so also here, knowing beforehand what they were going to say, He spoke these words so that He might use them as a starting point and a pretext for proving His equality of rank with the Father. For it is one thing, when no one brings an accusation or charge, to begin of oneself a discourse about these things, and quite another, when other persons give occasion for it, to do the same work in the form and order of a defense. For the first kind of demonstration was a stumbling block to the hearers. But the other was less offensive and more acceptable. And everywhere we see Him doing this, and showing His equality not so much by words as by deeds. This, at any rate, is what the Evangelist meant when he said that the Jews persecuted Jesus not only because He broke the Sabbath, but also because He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God, John 5:16. And this is a far greater thing, for He accomplished it by the demonstration of His deeds. How then do the envious and wicked act, those who try in every direction to find a handle? “Why does this man blaspheme?” they say. “For no man can forgive sins save God alone,” Mark 2:7. As they persecuted Him there because He broke the Sabbath, and took occasion from their reproaches to declare His equality with the Father in the form of a defense, saying, “My Father works until now, and I work,” John 5:17, so here also, starting from the accusations they make, He proves from them His exact likeness to the Father. For what was it they said? “No man can forgive sins save God alone.” Since, then, they themselves laid down this definition, they themselves introduced the rule, they themselves declared the law, He goes on to entangle them by their own words. “You have confessed,” He says, “that forgiveness of sins is an attribute of God alone. Therefore my equality is unquestionable.” And it is not these men only who say this, but also the prophet, saying, “Who is God like you?” and then, showing His special attribute, adds, “taking away iniquity and passing over unrighteousness,” Micah 7:18. If then anyone else appears doing the same thing, He also is God, God just as that One is God. But let us observe how Christ argues with them, how meekly and gently, and with all tenderness. “And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, ‘This man blasphemes.’” They did not speak the word. They did not proclaim it with the tongue, but reasoned in the secret recesses of their heart. How then did Christ act? Before the demonstration connected with the healing of the paralytic’s body, He made their secret thoughts public, wishing to prove to them the power of His Godhead. For that it is an attribute of God alone, and a sign of His deity, to show the secrets of the mind, the Scripture says, “You alone know the hearts of men,” 1 Kings 8:39. Do you see that this word “alone” is not used to set the Son against the Father? For if the Father alone knows the heart, how does the Son know the secrets of the mind? For it is said of Him, “He knew what was in man,” John 2:25. And Paul, when proving that the knowledge of secret things is a special attribute of God, says, “He who searches the heart,” Romans 8:27, showing that this expression is equal in force to the name God. For just as when I say, “He who causes rain said,” I mean no one other than God by naming the deed, since it belongs to Him alone, and when I say, “He who makes the sun rise,” without adding the word God, I still mean Him by naming the deed, so also when Paul said, “He who searches the hearts,” he proved that to search the heart is an attribute of God alone. For if this expression had not been equal in force with the name God for pointing out the one meant, he would not have used it absolutely and by itself. For if the power had been shared by Him in common with some created being, we would not have known who was meant, since the sharing of power would have caused confusion in the minds of the hearers. Since, then, this appears to be a special attribute of the Father, and yet is shown in the Son, His equality becomes unquestionable. Therefore we read, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’”

See also how He gives a second proof of His power to forgive sins. To forgive sins is a much greater act than to heal the body, by as much as the soul is greater than the body. Paralysis is a disease of the body, and sin is a disease of the soul. But though sin is the greater disease, it cannot be seen. The other, though less, is plain to everyone. Since He was going to use the lesser act to prove the greater one, and since He did this because of their weakness, lowering Himself to their feeble condition, He says, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Why then does He turn to the lesser act for their sake? Because what can be seen gives clearer proof. Therefore, He did not make the man rise until He had said to them, “But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins,” then He says to the man sick with paralysis, “Arise and walk.” It is as if He had said, Forgiveness of sins is indeed a greater sign. But for your sakes I add the lesser also, since this seems to you to be proof of the other. For in another case, when He praised the centurion for saying, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed; for I also say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes,” He confirmed the man’s understanding by the praise He gave him. Again, when He rebuked the Jews for accusing Him about the Sabbath, saying that He broke the law, He proved that He had authority to change laws. In the same way here, when some said that He made Himself equal with God by promising what belongs only to the Father, He first reproved and accused them, and then proved by His works that He was not blaspheming. So He gave us undeniable proof that He could do the same things as the Father who begot Him. Notice at least how He chooses to establish that what belongs only to the Father also belongs to Himself. He did not simply make the paralyzed man get up, but also said, “But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins.” So it was His effort and strong desire above all things to prove that He had the same authority as the Father.

Let us, then, carefully hold fast to all these things, both what was spoken yesterday and what was spoken the day before. Let us beg God that these things may remain unmoved in our hearts. And let us also do our part with zeal, and keep coming constantly to this place. For in this way we will preserve the truths that were spoken before, and we will add others to our store. And if any of them slip from our memory with the passing of time, we will easily be able to recover them through continual teaching. Not only will the doctrines remain sound and uncorrupted, but our way of life will also gain much benefit from this careful attention, and we will be able to pass through this present life with pleasure and cheerfulness. For whatever kind of affliction is weighing down our soul when we come here will easily be driven away, since Christ is present now also, and the one who comes to Him with faith will quickly receive healing from Him. Suppose someone is struggling with constant poverty, lacking necessary food, and often going to bed hungry. If he comes in here and hears Paul saying that he spent his time in hunger and thirst and nakedness, and that he experienced this not for one or two or three days, but constantly, for this is what he shows when he says, "To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked," 1 Corinthians 4:11, he will receive great comfort. He will learn from these words that God has not allowed him to be poor because He hated him or abandoned him. For if this were the result of hatred, He would not have allowed it in the case of Paul, who was especially dear to Him above all men. But He allowed it because of His tender love and providential care, and as a way of leading him to a higher degree of spiritual wisdom. Does another man have a body surrounded by disease and countless sufferings? The condition of these paralytics can be a great source of comfort, and besides them, the blessed and courageous disciple of Paul, who was always suffering from illnesses and never had any relief from long-lasting weakness, just as Paul also said, "Use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities," 1 Timothy 5:23, where he does not speak merely of infirmities in general. Or another man, having been falsely accused, has gained a bad reputation among the public, and this keeps troubling and eating away at his soul. He comes into this place and hears, "Blessed are you when men reproach you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven," Matthew 5:11-12. Then he will put away all despair and receive every kind of pleasure. For it is written, "Leap for joy, and be exceedingly glad, when men cast out your name as evil," Luke 6:22-23. In this way, then, God comforts those who are spoken against. And those who speak evil He puts in fear in another way, saying, "Every evil word which men shall speak, they shall give an account of it, whether it be good or evil," Matthew 12:36.

Another person perhaps has lost a little daughter, or a son, or one of his relatives. He too comes here and listens to Paul groaning over this present life, longing to see the life to come, and weighed down by his stay in this world. He will go away with enough remedy for his grief when he hears him say, “Now concerning those who are asleep, I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that you do not grieve as others do who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 He did not say, “concerning those who are dying,” but, “concerning those who are asleep,” showing that death is a sleep. So then, if we see someone sleeping, we are not troubled or distressed, because we expect that he will certainly get up. In the same way, when we see someone dead, let us not be troubled or cast down, for this too is a sleep. It is a longer sleep indeed, but still a sleep. By giving it the name of sleep, he comforted those who mourned and overturned the charge made by unbelievers. If you mourn too much for the one who has departed, you will be like that unbeliever who has no hope of a resurrection. He does well to mourn, since he cannot use any spiritual wisdom about the things to come. But you, who have received such strong proofs about the future life, why do you fall into the same weakness as he does? Therefore it is written, “Now concerning those who are asleep, we do not want you to be ignorant, that you do not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

And it is possible to receive abundant comfort not only from the New Testament, but also from the Old. For when you hear about Job, after the loss of his property, after the destruction of his herds, after losing not one, or two, or three, but a whole company of sons in the very flower of their age, and after the great excellence of soul that he showed, then even if you are the weakest of men, you will easily be able to repent and regain your courage. For you, O man, have constantly attended your sick son, and have seen him lying on the bed, and have heard him speaking his last words, and stood beside him while he drew his last breath, and have closed his eyes and shut his mouth. But Job was not present at the death struggle of his sons. He did not see them breathe their last gasp. Instead, the house became the common grave of them all, and on the same table brains and blood were poured out, and pieces of wood and tiles, and dust, and fragments of flesh, and all these things were mixed together in the same way. Nevertheless, after calamities so great as these, he was not petulant. But what does he say? "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord forever." Let this speech be ours also in every event that happens to us. Whether it is loss of property, or weakness of body, or insult, or false accusation, or any other kind of evil that comes upon mankind, let us say these words: "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord forever." If we practice this spiritual wisdom, we shall never experience any evil, even if we undergo countless afflictions. Instead, the gain will be greater than the loss, and the good will exceed the evil. By these words you will move God to be merciful to you, and you will defend yourself against the tyranny of Satan. For as soon as your tongue has spoken these words, the Devil immediately hastens away from you. And when he has gone away, the cloud of dejection is also driven off, and the thoughts that afflict us flee away, hurrying off with him. And in addition to all this, you will win all kinds of blessings both here and in heaven. And you have a convincing example in Job and in the Apostle, who, for God's sake, despised the troubles of this world and obtained the everlasting blessings. Let us then be trustful, and in all things that happen to us let us rejoice and give thanks to the merciful God, so that we may pass through this present life with serenity and obtain the blessings to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, honor, and might always, now and ever, world without end. Amen.