1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. (Matthew 9:1-8 KJV)
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
The first words of this chapter require us to look back at the close of the previous one, where we find the Gadarenes so upset over the loss of their swine that they resented Christ’s presence and begged him to leave their region. Now here it follows, He entered into a ship, and passed over. They asked him to go, and he took them at their word. We never read that he returned to their region again.
His justice is seen in that he left them. Christ will not stay where he is not welcome. In righteous judgment, he forsakes those who reject him but abides with those who desire his presence. If the unbeliever chooses to depart from Christ, let him go—it is at his own peril (1 Corinthians 7:15). His patience is seen in that he did not leave some destroying judgment behind to punish them, as they deserved, for their contempt. He could have sent them after their swine, already so much under the devil’s power.
The provocation was great, yet he passed it by and left peacefully. This was the day of his patience; he came not to destroy lives but to save them. Yet, some note that in the bloody wars the Romans waged against the Jews, they first besieged Gadara, the town where these Gadarenes lived. Those who drive Christ away bring misery upon themselves. Woe to us if God departs from us.
He came into his own city, Capernaum, where he resided at that time (Mark 2:1). Though a prophet is least honored in his own country, he still went there, not seeking his own honor. At Capernaum, all the events recorded in this chapter took place. When the Gadarenes rejected Christ, the people of Capernaum received him. If some reject Christ, others will honor him. The first event after Christ’s return was the healing of the paralyzed man.
His condition prevented him from coming to Christ himself, so he was carried. Even the weak and helpless can be brought to Christ, and he will not reject them. Jesus saw their faith—not only that of the friends but also of the sick man himself, though his illness may have impaired his ability to express it. Their faith was strong—they firmly believed Christ could and would heal him. Their faith was humble—they did not ask Christ to come to him but brought him to Christ instead. Their faith was active—despite obstacles, they pressed forward, believing in Christ’s power and goodness.
Jesus said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven.” This was a comforting word to a sick man. We do not read that anyone spoke to Christ—perhaps the man was unable to, and his friends chose to speak through their actions. Here we see a kind address—“Son.” Afflictions are fatherly discipline (Hebrews 12:5). There is a gracious encouragement—“Be of good cheer.” Christ reassured him that all would be well.
There is a greater gift than healing—“Your sins are forgiven.” This could be seen as an introduction to his physical healing—since sin is the root of suffering, its removal brings comfort. Or it could be seen as a source of comfort even if his sickness remained—if his sins were forgiven, he had reason to rejoice despite his affliction.
The scribes whispered among themselves, “This man blasphemes.” Even Christ’s greatest works of grace are met with enmity. Since only God can forgive sins, they accused him of assuming divine authority.
He confronted them. Though they spoke only in their hearts, he knew their thoughts. “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Christ, being Lord of the heart, sees sinful thoughts as offensive. He proved his authority. He asked, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Both are equally impossible for man but easy for God. He then demonstrated his power by healing the man. If he had the power to remove the punishment (the sickness), he certainly had the power to remove the sin that caused it.
Christ turned from debating with them and addressed the sick man: “Arise, take up your bed, and go home.” A healing power accompanied these words, and immediately, the man arose and departed. Christ told him to carry his bed to show his complete healing—he not only no longer needed to be carried but had the strength to carry his own bed. He sent him home to be a blessing to his family, where he had been a burden for so long. Christ did not use him for display but restored him to his normal life.
The crowd marveled and glorified God. All our wonder should lead us to glorify God, who alone does marvelous things. They praised God for what he had done for the man. Though many did not follow Christ in faith, they still admired him. They recognized that God had given such power to a man, but they did not yet understand that he was more than just a man. God must be glorified in all the power given to men to do good. All power originates from him; it is in him as the fountain, in men as the vessels.