The Miracles of Jesus: The Palsied Man
As part of my blog, I've occasionally been posting about a particular
miracle of the Savior, and the emotional appeal that miracle has to all
mankind. This entry is dedicated the palsied man that was both forgiven and healed.
Jesus has just finished an extensive visit to Galilee. He is now in Capernaum, in the house of his disciple Peter. The house is filled to the brim with people eager to hear his message. Four men have brought their dear friend to this Man whom they have heard can heal all manner of sickness; but they are unable to reach the Savior due to the crowd. They lower the palsied man through the roof of the house and rest him at the feet of Jesus.
Palsy is a dreadful disease that causes immobility due to loss of muscle function. In many cases, including this one, palsy also includes the loss of the ability to speak.
All eyes in the house are upon Jesus and this afflicted man. Every single person there expects the Savior to cure the man of palsy; the scribes, the friends, the disciples, the bystanders. Even the afflicted man himself probably expects the Savior to heal his palsy. The entire group's collective faith is focused on the exact thing that Jesus will not initially do.
If the Savior had asked the friends what they wanted of Him, they would most assuredly have answered that they desired the Savior to heal the palsy. But what did the palsied man want?
This palsied man was not able to voice to the Savior the truest and deepest desires of his heart. He desired forgiveness. Though unable to speak, his "eyes make the entreaty that his voice cannot." And what dread must have filled his soul when he thought that the Savior would not hear this plea, but would instead simply heal his palsy.
But the man did not need to fear. The Savior had already heard his truest, deepest, and unspoken request! The Savior only, among the entire group, was able to hear the true request crying from the man's heart. 'Forgive me, oh Lord, forgive me!'
Disease is sometimes a punishment for sin. The Jews of this time—ever ready to condemn—were quick to teach that any afflicted soul was a sinner.
In all this man's years of immobility and loneliness—with nothing but his own personal thoughts encompassing the majority of his existence—he must have at times wondered if his ailment was the result of sin. Consider the marvelous character of this man. During his years of immobility, he had reflected on his situation; and through this reflection, he had learned to desire forgiveness more than healing!
Wanting to talk, but more than that, wanting the Savior to speak forgiveness; wanting to walk, but more than that, wanting the assurance that he was walking in the light of God's grace; wanting physical capacity, but more than that, wanting spiritual blessings; this man silently pleads for forgiveness.
And now, after all these years, he lies at the feet of the Savior in whom he believes, fully expecting the Savior to heal his palsy rather than forgive his sins. His eyes continue to plead: 'Forgive me, oh Lord, forgive me! Let me know this horrible affliction; this awful disease that makes my life a living death; this personal Gethsemane of mine; is not of my own making. Forgive me. Please forgive me.'
The Savior—unswayed by the people and circumstances surrounding him, but instead swayed by the man's broken heart—smiles with compassion and speaks the most tender words to ever fall upon human ears, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee!"
The Savior is assuring this man that his ailment is not caused by his sins. Paraphrasing, Jesus is saying: 'Your sins, of whatever severity you may believe them to be, are forgiven. They are not related to your current ailment. Though these scribes that sit here, and all the Jewish leadership with them—and your entire culture at large—may proclaim to you with such force and frequency that your ailment is the result of sins; yet I deny them and their teachings. In their presence I declare unto you that your sins are forgiven.'
When the palsied man heard these words, it didn't even matter to him that the Savior had not healed his palsy! The joy and the peace this man must have felt when he heard these words! All his fears were cast out! His hopes were greatly rewarded beyond what he expected. The pleading of his eyes turned to contentment and gratitude in his soul as he received what he truly desired (but did not expect)!
Each miracle Jesus performed fed and inspired the faith of others who needed like blessings. Jesus touched the eyes of the blind in order to strengthen and focus their faith, for the blind were denied the ability to gain increased faith by seeing his countenance. He made up for their deficiencies and weaknesses!
In all of the healings of the Savior, it is astonishing to consider
that the Jewish leaders who witnessed these miracles never stopped to
consider upon the emotions and joy of those who were healed. They only
considered upon why the healing violated their own self-made rules.
The scribes reaction is a typical response of many. The Savior stands ready and willing to forgive sins, but people try to limit the power and efficacy of the Atonement. 'Jesus does not have the right to heal this; he lacks the authority to forgive that.' But down through the ages resonates the Savior's assurance, an assurance witnessed in the life of this palsied man. The Savior can heal and forgive! This miracle is given so that you and me and all mankind might know in a deeply personal way "that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." My next post will address this topic in a bit more depth.
The scribes' reaction also reveals how men typically strive to correct actions and impel change. Is it better to alleviate the external symptoms of a disease, or to heal the internal disease itself? To fix a man, the world focuses on the external, on the symptoms. They would take the man out of the ghetto; but if the ghetto is still in the man, the man will find his way back to the ghetto. It is where he is comfortable. But the Savior would take the ghetto out of the man, and the man will take himself out of the ghetto. He is not comfortable there anymore.
Forgiveness of sins is not something that can be seen or felt or tasted by an outside observer. The palsied man knew inside of himself that his sins had been forgiven. It did not matter what the leaders of the Jewish people believed. And what greater evidence was there of his forgiveness than the fact that he had also been cured of his palsy?
The eternal kindness and emotional appeal of Jesus is again revealed in this tender miracle.
Next blog post regarding the miracles of Jesus >>>
<<< Previous blog post regarding the miracles of Jesus
Jesus has just finished an extensive visit to Galilee. He is now in Capernaum, in the house of his disciple Peter. The house is filled to the brim with people eager to hear his message. Four men have brought their dear friend to this Man whom they have heard can heal all manner of sickness; but they are unable to reach the Savior due to the crowd. They lower the palsied man through the roof of the house and rest him at the feet of Jesus.
Palsy is a dreadful disease that causes immobility due to loss of muscle function. In many cases, including this one, palsy also includes the loss of the ability to speak.
All eyes in the house are upon Jesus and this afflicted man. Every single person there expects the Savior to cure the man of palsy; the scribes, the friends, the disciples, the bystanders. Even the afflicted man himself probably expects the Savior to heal his palsy. The entire group's collective faith is focused on the exact thing that Jesus will not initially do.
If the Savior had asked the friends what they wanted of Him, they would most assuredly have answered that they desired the Savior to heal the palsy. But what did the palsied man want?
This palsied man was not able to voice to the Savior the truest and deepest desires of his heart. He desired forgiveness. Though unable to speak, his "eyes make the entreaty that his voice cannot." And what dread must have filled his soul when he thought that the Savior would not hear this plea, but would instead simply heal his palsy.
But the man did not need to fear. The Savior had already heard his truest, deepest, and unspoken request! The Savior only, among the entire group, was able to hear the true request crying from the man's heart. 'Forgive me, oh Lord, forgive me!'
Disease is sometimes a punishment for sin. The Jews of this time—ever ready to condemn—were quick to teach that any afflicted soul was a sinner.
In all this man's years of immobility and loneliness—with nothing but his own personal thoughts encompassing the majority of his existence—he must have at times wondered if his ailment was the result of sin. Consider the marvelous character of this man. During his years of immobility, he had reflected on his situation; and through this reflection, he had learned to desire forgiveness more than healing!
Wanting to talk, but more than that, wanting the Savior to speak forgiveness; wanting to walk, but more than that, wanting the assurance that he was walking in the light of God's grace; wanting physical capacity, but more than that, wanting spiritual blessings; this man silently pleads for forgiveness.
And now, after all these years, he lies at the feet of the Savior in whom he believes, fully expecting the Savior to heal his palsy rather than forgive his sins. His eyes continue to plead: 'Forgive me, oh Lord, forgive me! Let me know this horrible affliction; this awful disease that makes my life a living death; this personal Gethsemane of mine; is not of my own making. Forgive me. Please forgive me.'
The Savior—unswayed by the people and circumstances surrounding him, but instead swayed by the man's broken heart—smiles with compassion and speaks the most tender words to ever fall upon human ears, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee!"
The Savior is assuring this man that his ailment is not caused by his sins. Paraphrasing, Jesus is saying: 'Your sins, of whatever severity you may believe them to be, are forgiven. They are not related to your current ailment. Though these scribes that sit here, and all the Jewish leadership with them—and your entire culture at large—may proclaim to you with such force and frequency that your ailment is the result of sins; yet I deny them and their teachings. In their presence I declare unto you that your sins are forgiven.'
When the palsied man heard these words, it didn't even matter to him that the Savior had not healed his palsy! The joy and the peace this man must have felt when he heard these words! All his fears were cast out! His hopes were greatly rewarded beyond what he expected. The pleading of his eyes turned to contentment and gratitude in his soul as he received what he truly desired (but did not expect)!
Each miracle Jesus performed fed and inspired the faith of others who needed like blessings. Jesus touched the eyes of the blind in order to strengthen and focus their faith, for the blind were denied the ability to gain increased faith by seeing his countenance. He made up for their deficiencies and weaknesses!
Certain of the scribes that were present questioned Jesus' right and power to forgive sins. Jesus perceived their evil thoughts and said to them: "Is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
And
immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all;
insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never
saw it on this fashion."
The scribes reaction is a typical response of many. The Savior stands ready and willing to forgive sins, but people try to limit the power and efficacy of the Atonement. 'Jesus does not have the right to heal this; he lacks the authority to forgive that.' But down through the ages resonates the Savior's assurance, an assurance witnessed in the life of this palsied man. The Savior can heal and forgive! This miracle is given so that you and me and all mankind might know in a deeply personal way "that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." My next post will address this topic in a bit more depth.
The scribes' reaction also reveals how men typically strive to correct actions and impel change. Is it better to alleviate the external symptoms of a disease, or to heal the internal disease itself? To fix a man, the world focuses on the external, on the symptoms. They would take the man out of the ghetto; but if the ghetto is still in the man, the man will find his way back to the ghetto. It is where he is comfortable. But the Savior would take the ghetto out of the man, and the man will take himself out of the ghetto. He is not comfortable there anymore.
Forgiveness of sins is not something that can be seen or felt or tasted by an outside observer. The palsied man knew inside of himself that his sins had been forgiven. It did not matter what the leaders of the Jewish people believed. And what greater evidence was there of his forgiveness than the fact that he had also been cured of his palsy?
The eternal kindness and emotional appeal of Jesus is again revealed in this tender miracle.
Next blog post regarding the miracles of Jesus >>>
<<< Previous blog post regarding the miracles of Jesus
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