Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time (July 1, 2021) Mat 9:1-8

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

John Gill

And getting into a boat—Or “the boat,” the selfsame ship he came over in, with his disciples. The Gadarenes, having desired him to depart their coasts, showing an unwillingness to receive him, and an uneasiness at his company, he immediately turned his back upon them, as an ungrateful people, being no better than their swine; and who, by their conduct, judged themselves unworthy of his presence, ministry, and miracles: he returned to the sea side, took shipping, and

He crossed over—The Sea of Tiberias again,

And came to his own city—Not Bethlehem, where he was born, nor Nazareth, as Jerom thought, where he was educated, but Capernaum, as is clear from Mar 2:1 where he much dwelt, frequently conversed, and his disciples: here he paid tribute as an inhabitant, or citizen of the place, which he was entitled to by only dwelling in it twelve months, according to the Jewish canons; where it is asked,

“how long shall a man be in a city before he is as the men of the city? It is answered, ‘twelve months’; but if he purchases a dwelling house, he is as the men of the city immediately”;

that is, he is a citizen, and obliged to all charges and offices, as they are: though they seem to make a distinction between an inhabitant and a citizen.

“A man is not reckoned, ‘as the children of the city,’ or as one of the citizens, in less than twelve months, but he may be called, or accounted, ‘as one of the inhabitants’ of the city, if he stays there thirty days.”

One or other of these Christ had done, which denominated this city to be his, and he to be either an inhabitant, or a citizen of it.

2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

1 A Maskil of David.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Rashi

A Maskil of David—The Sages said (Pesachim 117a): Every Psalm in which “maskil” is mentioned was said through an interpreter.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven—Whose transgression the Holy One, blessed be he, forgives, and he conceals his sins. (נשוי is anpardone in Old French, pardoned. The implication is forgiveness, because the forgiveness of iniquity represents the sin being lifted up and withdrawn from upon a person.)

2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit. PSA 32:1-2

Rashi

Against whom the Lord counts no iniquity provided that in his spirit there is no deceit, thinking to revert to his “vomit.”

3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

John Gill

And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves—And of the Pharisees also, as Luke says; for there were at this time Pharisees and doctors of the law, who were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea, and out of Jerusalem, sitting and hearing him teach, and observing what he said, and did; who upon hearing him pronounce the sentence of pardon, upon this “paralytic” man, reasoned and concluded in their own minds, though they did not care to speak it out, that

This man is blaspheming—The reason was, because they thought he ascribed that to himself, which was peculiar to God: and so he did, and yet did not blaspheme; because he himself was God, of which he quickly gave convincing proofs.

Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. LEV 24:16

Rashi

Whoever blasphemes—Heb. וְנֹקֵב. This expression denotes cursing, as in (Num 23:8), “What can I curse (אֶקֹּב) . . . ?” (Sanhedrin 56a).

Whoever blasphemes the name—This teaches us that he is not liable to the death-penalty unless he utters the divine Name. However, he who curses using an ancillary name for God, rather than the explicit, four-letter Name, is not liable to the death penalty (cf. Sanhedrin 56a; Sifra, Emor, Chapter 19 5).

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

John Gill

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts—Which was a clear evidence, and full demonstration of his deity; for none knows the thoughts of the heart but God; and since he knew the thoughts of men’s hearts, it could be no blasphemy in him to take that to himself which belonged to God, even to forgive sins. And this, one would think, would have been sufficient to have approved himself to them as the true Messiah, that he is “of quick understanding, and judges” (referring to Isa 11:3), let us see whether this man is of quick understanding, and can make judgment, i.e. whether a man is wicked, or not, without any external proof; and when they saw he was not of quick understanding, and could not judge in this manner, they slew him.”

But now Christ needed not any testimony of men; he knew what was in the hearts of men, of which this instance is a glaring proof: hence he said,

“Why do you think evil in your hearts?” It was no evil in them to think that God only could forgive sin; but the evil was, that they thought Christ was a mere man, and ought not to have took so much upon him; and that, for so doing, he was a wicked man, and a blasphemer.

Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme . . . EZE 38:10

John Gill

Thus says the Lord God—Who is the Lord God omniscient, and knows the thoughts of men’s hearts afar off; which, though they are contingent and voluntary, yet certain to the foreknowledge of God; who knows them before they are conceived, and can foretell what they will be, and which come to pass accordingly: it is now above two thousand years ago since this was said, and as yet is not fulfilled, but certainly will be: that

On that day, thoughts will come into your mind—When the Jews shall be in their own land, dwelling in great security; and when Gog or the Turk shall make preparation to disturb them, and shall enter into their land suddenly and furiously; many thoughts shall come into his mind, many schemes and devices, but not good ones:

And you will devise an evil scheme—To do mischief to the Jews; to disturb their peace, to dispossess them of their land, and plunder their substance.

Rashi

Thoughts will come into—Thoughts will arise.

An evil scheme to wage war against me.

5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

John Gill

For which is easier, to say—Christ proceeds to clear himself of the charge of blasphemy, and to prove his power to forgive sins, by putting a case to them, of which he makes themselves judges, and is this: which is easiest to be said,

“Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise and walk”? Neither of them were easy to a mere creature, but both of them easy to God; and he that could say the one with power and efficacy going along with his word, could say the other as effectually: and whereas it was a plain case, and out of all question, that he could bid this “paralytic” man, though in this weak condition, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and go home of himself; and since he had already healed many that were sick of the palsy, and particularly the “centurion’s” servant, by a word speaking, he must have equal power to forgive sin. For to heal the diseases of the body in such a wonderful manner, was a very sensible proof of his power to heal the maladies of the soul; and though these are greater than those of the body, yet since both require divine power, he that is able to do the one, is able to do the other. And that it might appear he did not say this in a boasting manner, he adds,

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

John Gill

But that you may know that the Son of Man—That they might have a visible proof, an ocular demonstration, that though he was the Son of Man, truly and really man, yet not a mere man; but also as truly and properly God, God and man in one person, and so

Has authority on earth to forgive sins—Not only ability as God, but even authority to do it as mediator, even whilst he was on earth, in a state of humiliation, in fashion as a man, in the form of a servant, conversing with sinful mortals.

He then said to the paralytic—Turning himself from the scribes, to him, and without putting up any prayer to God, but by a mere word of command, says to him,

Rise, pick up your bed and go home—He ordered him to “rise” from his bed, on which he was carried by four men, and “pick up his bed,” and carry it himself; which would be not only an evidence that the disease had left him, but that he was in full strength, and perfect health; and to “go” to his own “home,” not only that the multitude might see that he could walk home himself, whom they had seen brought by others; but that those in the house, who had been eyewitnesses of his great disorder and weakness, might be also of his cure.

I, I am he

who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins. ISA 43:25

Rashi

I, I am he who—I am he who erased them from time immemorial lit. from then, and I erase them even now.

For my own sake—Neither in your merit nor in the merit of your forefathers.

7 And he rose and went home.

John Gill

And he rose and went home—Immediately, at the command of Christ, believing he was able to heal him by a word speaking; and, upon his attempt to arise, found himself perfectly healed of his disease, and endued with such strength, that he could, not only with the greatest ease, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and walk alone, without any help; but, as the other evangelists declare, took up his bed, on which he lay, carried it home on his shoulders, in the sight of all the people, praising, and giving glory to God for this wonderful cure, which he had received.

8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

John Gill

When the crowds saw it—The miracle that was wrought; when they saw the man take up his bed, and carry it home, which was done by Christ, as a proof of his having power to forgive sin,

They were afraid, and they glorified God—They were struck with amazement and astonishment at the sight, it being what was strange and unusual; the like to which they had never seen before, nor heard of: and concluding it to be more than human; they ascribed it to God; they praised, and adored the divine goodness,

Who had given such authority to men—Of working miracles, healing diseases, and delivering miserable mortals from such maladies, as were otherwise incurable; still looking upon Christ as a mere man, by whom God did these things; not knowing yet the mystery of the incarnation, God manifest in the flesh.