Homily on the Paralytic Who Was Lowered from the Roof
(6th Sunday of Matthew - Matt. 9:1-8)
(6th Sunday of Matthew - Matt. 9:1-8)
By Patriarch John VIII Xiphilinos of Constantinople (+ 1075)
The souls of those who imitate the diligence and industry of bees in a God-loving way are attracted by the sweetness of divine words and reap from them useful and most beneficial things, flying like them over the meadows and collecting from all the evergreen herbs and flowers what is most useful there. And from some words they gather the flower of temperance; from others that of justice; from others that of wisdom; from others that of courage; from others the flower of sympathy and philanthropy towards fellow-servants; from here that of meekness and leniency; from there that of patience and forbearance in suffering. And in general, gathering from everywhere everything that contributes to the salvation of the soul, they deposit it in the hive of the heart, process it and prepare there the honey of virtues, which is "sweeter than honey and the honeycomb."
Let us, therefore, imitate them, my brethren, and when we come to this divine and beautiful meadow, the Church, let us not use our coming here as an occasion for discussions among ourselves, but let us study the Divine Scriptures, which are read for our salvation, and let us seek the spiritual benefit that flows from them, diligently, with great attention and an inquisitive disposition. In this way, sometimes being admonished about this virtue, sometimes being taught about that one, sometimes hearing exhortations about another, and constantly being educated and trained in this atmosphere, we will be able to achieve the virtues ourselves and offer to God the sweetness and illumination that is born from them within our souls, like honey and the honeycomb. For the Divine Scripture always teaches and promotes the things that are God-loving and salvific, and there is nothing in it that does not contribute to the benefit of the soul. So, since this is how things are, let us learn from the words of today's Gospel how great an evil sin is, and that it harms the soul greatly, but it is also the root cause of most physical illnesses.
The story goes as follows: “At that time Jesus crossed over in a boat and came to the same city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed.”
The Lord leaves the country of the Gergesenes because they themselves had invited Him. The Gergesenes were afraid, after losing the pigs, lest they suffer any further harm. That is why they beg Christ and ask Him to leave their region; after all, they were not worthy of the Master's teaching. But Christ did not resist, but with grace and gentleness departed; for where life is swinelike and alienated from good, Christ does not remain there. But he left those who had been freed from demons and those who were feeding the pigs to speak and proclaim the miraculous events themselves.
“And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed.”
Since the art of the doctors was deemed incapable of curing the paralysis, the paralytic’s relatives carried him to the exalted visitor and heavenly physician, our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of those who simply and uncritically read the Holy Scriptures think that the paralytic mentioned by the four evangelists is one and the same. Some even criticize the Evangelists for fighting and disagreeing with each other. But this is not the case; let it not be so. For one is the grace of the Holy Spirit that worked in them; and where the grace of the Holy Spirit is, there is love, joy, peace; and where there is peace, there flees from there all strife and opposition, and all doubt and disagreement disappear. Indeed, both the place, and the time and the weather, and the day, and the manner of the healing, and certain other things, indicate to those who pay some attention that this paralytic is one and there is another mentioned by John the Evangelist and Theologian. For the one is healed in Jerusalem, while the other in Capernaum; the one near the pool, the other in some small house, as Luke and Mark say. And that paralytic received healing during a feast; but this one not on a feast, but on some other day. He had suffered from the illness for thirty-eight years, while the Evangelist says nothing of the kind about him. And he was healed on the Sabbath, while this one on another day. For if he had also been healed on the Sabbath, the Evangelist would not have kept it secret, nor would the Jews have remained silent. This paralytic is carried to Christ; while Christ Himself comes to him; and this paralytic had no one to help him (for he said, “Lord, I have no man”), while this one had many acquaintances, who lifted him up and carried him. But the method of healing also seems different for each. In this case, Christ healed the body before the soul; for after first healing his paralysis, He then said: “Behold, you are made well; sin no more.” But the same did not happen here, but first He granted him the health of his soul, saying: “Your sins are forgiven you,” and then He healed his physical paralysis. And in this case, the scribes and Pharisees were silent about the paralyzed man, but on the other occasion they reacted, expelling and grumbling and accusing. So this paralyzed man is one, and that one is another, as has been clearly demonstrated by what has been said.
“And Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the paralytic.”
The faith of those who brought the paralytic was indeed accepted by our good physician and Savior, because He knows the hearts. And some say that the Lord saw the faith not of the paralytic but of his carriers. Indeed, sometimes some are healed by the faith of others, as is the case with baptism given to children; for there the faith of the parents who offer them is at work. As also was the case with the Canaanite woman; because she believed, her daughter was healed. And by the faith of the centurion his servant was raised. In the same way, then, they say that here also the paralytic was healed by the faith of those who brought him before Christ. But no, it did not happen the same. For he says: “I see their faith,” not only of the carriers, but also of the paralyzed man. For no one is saved by the faith of another, unless he is at a very early age, as is the case with children, as we have said, or in a very advanced illness, when those affected by it no longer have communication with the environment and therefore are unable to believe, as was the case with the daughter of the Canaanite woman. “My daughter,” she said, “is severely demonized,” and “ofttimes she falls into the water, and ofttimes into the fire.” How then could the demonized woman, who is not in a position to have control over herself, believe? The same with the centurion; his servant was lying in the house, and he did not even know who Christ was. How then could he believe in someone he did not know? In those cases, then, one is saved by the faith of another, but here we cannot assert this, but the paralytic also believed without hesitation, and this becomes evident from many things.
Consider how difficult it is for someone, while he is sick, to suffer so much and to endure. You certainly know that patients are so small-minded and resentful that even when they are in bed they resist treatment and weep and often consider it better to suffer the pains of their illnesses than to endure the discomfort and disgust caused by various aids. But this paralyzed man even agreed to go out of his house and walk through the marketplace, lifting himself up, and did not avoid being noticed by everyone. For the sick usually do not want to have witnesses to their illness, and many would rather die than reveal their misfortune to others. But this paralyzed man did not do so, nor did he grumble to those who carried him: What is this? Why are you making a fuss? Why are you in a hurry? Let us wait patiently for the crowd to subside and then approach the doctor privately and inform him of my terrible illness. For what will it profit, when everyone will see us, to present my misfortune before them? He said none of these things, but considered it an ornament and an adornment to make so many witnesses of his illness and cure.
It is not only these that reveal the faith of the paralytic, but also the words of Christ. For when he was brought to Him and He said: “Child, your sins are forgiven,” he did not become indignant, did not resist at all, did not say to the good physician: “What is this, Lord? I have come to be healed of one passion, and you heal another. This is an evasion and a pretext and an indication of weakness, which you are trying to hide in this way. Do you forgive sins that are not seen?” He did not say or think anything of the kind, but waited, believing that the sympathy of the good physician would heal him and correct everything. And the Lord, showing that faith is the one that destroys sin, said to the paralytic: “Take courage, My child, your sins are forgiven you.”
As we see, the Lord does not immediately proceed to heal the paralysis, but first heals what is not seen, namely the soul, forgiving its sins, which saved the paralytic, while it did not bring much glory to the Lord; for He did not want to do anything for show and to please men.
And first He forgives the sick man his sins, and after forgiveness He heals the body, thus teaching that most illnesses are caused by sins and the cause must first be healed. At the same time, in this way He proves that He is God and acts in all things authoritatively, as He wills. For the healing of bodily diseases belongs only to God. That is why He said to the paralytic who was near the pool: “Behold, you are made well; sin no more, lest a worse thing come to you.” Sin is the source, root, and mother of all evil. It paralyzes our bodies, it causes diseases; and the Lord, revealing this, said to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven,” and to the one who had been bedridden for thirty-eight years He said: “Behold, you are made well; sin no more.”
From the beginning of creation, this disease came upon Cain's body as a result of sins. For his body perished after the fratricide and "he was in pain and trembling on the earth." And for anyone to tremble is nothing other than paralysis. For when the power that saves the organism weakens and can no longer support all the members, it leaves them deserted by Divine Providence, and thus they, after relaxing, tremble and sway uncontrollably. This was also revealed by the holy Paul, rebuking the Corinthians for certain sins and saying: "For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and many are asleep."
And Christ therefore said: “Your sins are forgiven,” so that we may learn that as God He silently and imperceptibly visits human affairs and watches the path of each person’s life. For as it is written: “The ways of man are before the eyes of God, and He ponders all his paths.” Because God is good and wants everyone to be saved, He often allows people to fall into diseases, so that those who are possessed by them may be cleansed from their sins by their affliction. Thus it has been said by the mouth of Jeremiah: “You shall be punished with pain and scourge, O Jerusalem.” And the Proverbs says: “My son, do not despise (disregard) the discipline of the Lord, nor be faint-hearted when you are rebuked by him; for whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and scourges every son whom he receives.” So Christ first cuts off the root of bodily passion, namely sin. For when this is removed, the disease is necessarily removed with it. And by saying: “Child, your sins are forgiven you,” He also raises the spirit of the paralytic and stirs up his downtrodden soul. For the word became a work and, entering into his conscience, it touched his own soul and expelled from it every trace of anguish. Because nothing causes so much timidity and fear as the consciousness of sins, and again nothing provides such pleasure and gives so much courage as not to be rebuked by conscience for anything.
The Lord calls the paralyzed man “child,” either because He is his Creator, or because he believed, or because He was about to give him the remission of sins, for where the remission of sins occurs, there is also adoption. So too, my brethren, we cannot call God Father until we have been cleansed from sins in the font of Baptism. When, therefore, we ascend from there, having laid aside that evil burden, then we say, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
“And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemes.”
The scribes were scandalized and troubled, they were filled with envy and jealousy; for many times they had seen Christ authoritatively drive out diseases and cast out demons and rebuke the winds and the sea, and do these things superhumanly. But those disobedient and ungrateful ones, while they thought that they were taking revenge for the sake of God, did this because their passions were offended; and, plotting the benefits of others, they are agitated and indignant and murmur and devise blasphemies against the Savior and Lord.
“And Jesus seeing their thoughts said, Why do you think evil in your hearts?”
Behold, Christ here shows another undeniable and evident sign of his divinity and equality with the Father. For the knowledge of the thoughts of the heart belongs to God alone, and likewise the forgiveness of sins. For it is written: “You alone know the hearts of all;” and again: “God searches the heart and the inner depths,” and elsewhere: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” So Christ says to the scribes as if it were certain, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” because they considered it impossible for Him to forgive sins, and they did not accept it.
By what He said and in the way He said to the scribes He confirmed that indeed no one can forgive sins, except only one, the one who sees the thoughts of men. “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’” Since you consider Me blasphemous, He says, because I forgive sins and make Myself equal with God, answer Me, which is easier and more convenient in practice, to say this, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ Now, both of these things about which he asked them were possible for God, but impossible for man; for to forgive sins belongs to God alone, and likewise to raise up as one in authority and to heal the paralytic completely; because the punishment of a slave who sins shows a domineering power; especially when the one who punishes is God, it follows that he will turn again to philanthropy and deliver from the scourge; and when the scourge is removed, the sin for which the wound has been inflicted is certainly also forgiven. And if the Lord heals, He was certainly also the one who chastised; and if he chastises, it is evident that He has the power to deliver from the pedagogic scourge, and therefore also from the offense for which it was inflicted.
“But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins.”
In order that you may know, He said, that He who appears to you as a man has divine power, observe and perceive the hidden and the unseen from the seen. For while I am God the Word, I became man for the sake of the economy, and I live and walk upon the earth, and I grant forgiveness of sins to them that believe in Me. Therefore He said, “on earth,” to show that, although He appeared on the earth, he is by nature God, and that we may learn that sins are forgiven on the earth. For while we are still on earth, my brethren, we can eliminate our sins; but when we leave here, we no longer have the
ability to confess to God and thus obtain the forgiveness of sins, because the door is now definitively closed.
“Then He says to the paralytic, Rise, take up your bed, and go to your house. And he rose and went to his house.”
Since the forgiveness of sins could not be clearly demonstrated, while the raising of the paralytic by authority was something that constituted a clear proof, Christ resorts to this clear proof as a proof and manifestation of the invisible. Thus He informs with this clear proof also about that, that is, that He who was able to do this, is in a position to do that also. And for confirmation and information of the tightening of the paralyzed body, He ordered him to be carry the bed, so that no one would think that what happened was imaginary. The Lord sends the paralyzed man to his house, on the one hand, so that He may not cause praise to Himself with the presence and sight of him, and on the other hand, so that He may have eyewitnesses of the healing, those same who were also indisputable witnesses of the illness, and thus become a reason for their faith.
“And when the crowds saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”
The crowds marveled because He had worked miracles as God, but they thought that He was a man who had superhuman authority. And we, my brethren, who are paralyzed and have the powers of the soul inactive, have the ability to be healed and stand upright, it is enough only to have the choice and the will. For even now Christ is in His own city, Capernaum, I mean in the house of prayer, which is the Church; for the house of the Paraclete is the Church. We are not spiritually paralyzed, that is, immobile and inactive towards good, but if our repentance and confession raise us up and lead us to the Lord, then we will hear His sweet and omnipotent voice saying to us: “My children, your sins are forgiven.” Because then we become sons of God, when we return to Him with pure repentance and confession. It is precisely then that we will be healed and will “take up our bed,” that is, our body, and we will mobilize it to work the commandments. For it is not enough just to rise from sin or even to understand that we sin, but we must also “take up the bed,” that is, the body, and activate it in the work of good and virtue.
Source: Migne, P.G., 120, 1245. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
