Gospel Reading : Matthew 9:1-8
And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home.
When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
What do the Fathers say?
St John CHRYSOSTOM.
Christ had earlier shown His excellent power
by teaching, when he taught them as one having authority;
in the leper, when He said, I will, be thou clean;
by the centurion, who said to Him, Speak the word, and my servant shall be healed;
by the sea which He calmed by a word;
by the dæmons who confessed Him;
now again, in another and greater way, He compels His enemies to confess the equality of His honour with the Father.
And Jesus entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. He entered a boat to cross over, who could have crossed the sea on foot; but He would not be always working miracles, so that He might not take away the reality of His incarnation.
By his own city is here meant Capharnaum. For one town, to wit, Bethlehem, had received Him to be born there; another had brought Him up, to wit, Nazareth; and a third received Him to dwell there continually, namely, Capharnaum.
Seeing then that they showed such great faith, He also shows His excellent power; with full power forgiving sin.
The Scribes in their desire to spread an ill report of Him, against their will made that which was done be more widely known; Christ using their envy to make known the miracle. For this is of His surpassing wisdom to manifest His deeds through His enemies
He did not indeed contradict their suspicions so far as they had supposed Him to have spoken as God. For had He not been equal to God the Father, it would have behoved Him to say, I am far from this power, that of forgiving sin. But He confirms the contrary of this, by His words and His miracle; For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
By how much the soul is better than the body, by so much is it a greater thing to forgive sin than to heal the body. But forasmuch as the one may be seen with the eyes, but the other is not sensibly perceived, He does the lesser miracle which is the more evident, to be a proof of the greater miracle which is imperceptible.
But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home.
This command He added, that it might be seen there was no delusion in the miracle; and to establish the reality of the cure, it follows he rose and went home. But the multitude seeing it were afraid, and glorified God.But if they had rightly considered among themselves, they would have acknowledged Him to be the Son of God.
Meanwhile it was no little matter to esteem Him as one greater than men, and to have come from God.
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
Artwork ex Wikimedia Commons