And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it in this fashion.
All Commentaries on Mark 2:12 Go To Mark 2
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: Or else, Matthew called Capernaum His city because He went there frequently, and there did many miracles. It goes on: “And it was noised that He was in the house "For the desire of hearing Him was stronger that the toil of approaching Him. After this, they introduce the paralytic, of whom Matthew and Luke speak; wherefore there follows: “And they came unto Him bearing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. "Finding the door blocked up by the crowd, they could not by any means enter that way. Those who carried him, however, hoping that he could merit the grace of being healed, raising the bed with their burden, and uncovering the roof, lay him with his bed before the face of the Saviour. There follows: “But when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”He did not mean the faith of the sick man, but of his bearers; for it sometimes happens that a man is healed by the faith of another.
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: And because it is easier to say than to do, there was still manifestly something to say in opposition, for the work was not yet manifested. Wherefore He subjoins, “But that ye may know” as if He said, Since ye doubt My word, I will bring on a work which will confirm what was unseen. For His human nature did not in any thing take away from these things which essentially belonged to His Divinity, nor the Divinity hinder the Word of God from becoming on earth, according to the flesh, the Son of Man without change and in truth.
Further, He first healed by there mission of sins that which He had come to seek, that is, a soul, so that when they faithlessly doubted, then He might bring forward a work before them, and in this way His word might be confirmed by the work, and a hidden sign be proved by an open one, that is, the health of the soul by the healing of the body.
