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.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
De Con. Evan., ii, 25: But Matthew writes this miracle as if it were done in the city of the Lord, whilst Mark places it in Capernaum, which would be more difficult of solution, if Matthew had also named Nazareth. But seeing that Galilee itself might be called the city of the Lord, who can doubt but that the Lord did these things in His own city, since He did them in Capernaum, a city of Galilee; particularly as Capernaum was of such importance in Galilee as to becalled its metropolis? Or else, Matthew passed by the things which were done after He came into His own city, until He came to Capernaum, and so adds on the story of the paralytic healed, subjoining, “And, behold, they presented to Him a man sick of the palsy,” after he had said that He came into His own city.
In Marc., 1, 10: Because the compassion of God deserts not even carnal persons, He accords to them the grace of His presence, by which even they may be made spiritual. After the desert, the Lord returns into the city. Wherefore it is said, “And again He entered into Capernaum.”.
It may indeed be seen how much each person's own faith weighs with God, when that of another had such influence that the whole man at once rose up, healed body and soul, and by one man's merit, another should have his sins forgiven him.
Moreover, the Lord being about to cure the man of the palsy, first loosed the chains of his sins, in order toshew that he was condemned to the loosening of his joints, because of the bonds of his sins, and could not be healed to the recovery of his limbs, unless these were first loosened. But Christ’s wonderful humility calls this man, despised, weak, with all the joints of his limbs unstrung, a son, when the priests did not deign to touch him. Or at least, He therefore calls hi...
: Now they accuse Him of blasphemy, anticipating the sentence of His death: for there was a commandin the Law, that whosoever blasphemed should be put to death. And this charge they laid upon Him, because He claimed for Himself the divine power of remitting sins. Wherefore it is added, “Who can forgives in, save God only?” For the Judge of all alone has power to forgive sin.
This paralytic is not the same as that mentioned in St. John; for that distressed man had no one to assist him, whereas this person had four; the former was by the side of the Probatica, but the latter in a house at Capharnaum. (Theophylactus)
Again, the palsy is a type of the torpor, in which man lies slothful in the softness of the flesh, though desiring health.Theophlyact: If therefore I, having the powers of my mind unstrung, remain, whenever I attempt any thing good without strength, as a palsied man, and if I be raised on high by the four Evangelists, and be brought to Christ, and there hear myself called son, then also are my sins quitted by me; for a man is called the son of God because he works the commandments.
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 ...
He saw the faith of the sickman himself, since he would not have allowed himself to be carried, unless he'd had faith to be healed.
But though their thoughts were laid bare, still they remain insensible, refusing to believe that He who knew their hearts could forgive sins, wherefore the Lord proves to them the cure of the soul by that of the body, shewing the invisible by the visible, that which is more difficult by that which is easier, although they did not look upon it as such. For the Pharisees thought it more difficult to heal the body, as being more open to view; but the soul more easy to cure, because the cure is invisible; so that they reasoned thus, Lo, He does not now cure the body, but heals the unseen soul; if He’d had more power, He would atonce have cured the body, and not have fled for refuge to the unseen world. The Saviour, therefore, shewing that He cando both, says, “Which is easier?” as if He said, I indeed by the healing of the body, which is in reality more easy, ...
