As we read the account of the paralytic, we might wonder why it was that Jesus forgave the man his sins when it appears that he was brought to Jesus to be healed of his sickness. Was Jesus trying to indicate a connection between the man's sin and his disease? Or was he merely trying to emphasize the need for us to recognize that beyond our physical life, we have a spiritual life that is more important and that it must be free of sin to be healthy?
St. Nikolai Velimirovich says, “The soul can be healed in no other way than by the forgiving of its sins. When its sins are forgiven, the soul is healthy, and to a healthy soul it is easy to give a healthy body. Sin is virtually always the cause of sickness, both of soul and body.
St. Cyril of Alexandria says, “As God is good, and wills that all men should be saved, He often purifies those who are entangled in sins by inflicting sickness upon their body. He says by the voice of Jeremiah, "Thou shalt be taught, O Jerusalem, by labor and the scourge." And the book of Proverbs also says, "My son, despise not thou the teaching of the Lord, nor faint when thou art convicted by Him, for whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He accepteth." Christ announces that He will cut away the cause of the disease, and the very root of the malady, even sin: for if this be removed, necessarily must the disease which sprung from it be also at the same time taken away."
In forgiving the man his sins, our Lord is saying "I must heal your soul before I heal your body: for if this is not done, by obtaining strength to walk, you will only sin more: and even though you have not asked for this, yet I as God see the maladies of the soul, which brought upon you this disease." (St. Cyril)
We can also view the account as symbolically representing our need to come to Christ for spiritual healing. We learn that the paralyzed man was brought by four friends in the parallel accounts. The paralyzed man represents the soul that turns back to the Lord and is brought to Him by these four things: self-condemnation, confession of sins, the promise to renounce evil, and prayer to God." (Gregory Palamas)
When we fall down before Christ with faith, our paralyzed mind immediately hears Him saying 'Son', and receives forgiveness and healing. In addition, it receives strength to lift up and carry the flesh, which is represented by the bed. Before, the mind clung to the body and pursued fleshly desires, and through it applied itself to sinful actions. After being healed, our mind has our body under control and leads and carries it about. (Gregory Palamas)
St. Gregory Palamas said, “It was love of human honor that distanced the Pharisees from faith in the Lord. Others were prevented from drawing near by lands, weddings, or worries about the affairs of this life, but the paralyzed man's physical weakness put an end to such things and removed them from his thoughts. There are times when illness is better for sinners than good health, because it helps them towards salvation and blunts their inborn evil impulses. Inasmuch as it repays the debt of sins by means of suffering, it makes them able to receive healing of their souls in the first instance, then healing of their bodies. This happens most of all when the sick person, understanding that the affliction is a remedy from God, bears it courageously, falls down before God with faith and asks for forgiveness, through whatever works he can manage.”
"'O come', brethren, 'let us', too 'worship and fall down and weep', as David himself urges us, 'before the Lord that made us', who has called us to repentance and to this saving sorrow, mourning and contrition...But even if someone could say that he had his passions under control, the Scriptures show us another basic reason for this sorrow that saves us. The disciples grieved when they lost Christ, their good Teacher and Savior, and we too are deprived of Him now, and not just of Him, but of the joy of Paradise. (Gregory Palamas)
Blessed Theophylact explains what Jesus meant when He asked, "For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?": "He rebukes them by saying, 'You think that I am blaspheming by promising to forgive sins, which is a great thing, and that I resort to this because it is something which cannot be verified. But by healing the body, I shall guarantee that the soul has been healed as well. By doing the lesser deed, though it appears to be more difficult, I shall also confirm the remission of sins, which is indeed something great even though it appears easier to you since it is not visible to the eye.'"
Another important point in this reading is the fact that Jesus showed the wicked scribes and Pharisees that he could read their thoughts saying, "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"
If you, therefore, O Pharisee, you say, who can forgive sins but One, God; I will also say to you, Who can know hearts, and see the thoughts hidden in the depth of the understanding, but God only?
Christ, knowing their inner thoughts, revealed the evil in their corrupt hearts. It was an astonishing revelation, revealing even more than the miracles of the healings that Christ is the true God. (Augoustinos)
It is said that an evil woman tried to tempt an ascetic to sin with her. The ascetic pretended to consent. But he proposed that they sin at noontime in the square of the city. "No!" said the woman, 'we can't do that.' Why not?' asked the ascetic. 'Because people will see us.' But, woman, wherever we go, even if we shut ourselves up in the darkest cave, God sees us. We're ashamed to be seen by people, yet we are not ashamed to be seen by God?' The sinful woman repented and was saved. She was saved by these words of the ascetic. There is, in spite of what the atheists say, an eye that sees everything, an ear that hears everything, and a hand that writes everything down. It is Christ Who sees, hears, and knows everything. And one day He will judge the world. (Augoustinos)
Also notice that He did not say "Wherefore think ye evil in your minds," but "in your hearts", signifying that their thinking was bound up with bitterness and hatred. They were not listening to Christ either as believers or as objective questioners, but as spies and persecutors. Had they been open to learning like the centurion at the crucifixion, they would have recognized Jesus as God.
May we come to Christ in repentance for our sins so that He will willingly forgive us and heal us in both soul and body. Amen.
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