Healing the paralytic at Capernaum

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Christ healing the paralytic at Capernaum by Bernhard Rode 1780.
Jesus heals the paralytic at Capernaum (Galway City Museum, Ireland)

Healing the paralytic at Capernaum is one of the miracles of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 9:1–8, Mark 2:1–12, and Luke 5:17–26).[1][2][3][4] Jesus was living in Capernaum and teaching the people there, and on one occasion the people gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left inside the house where he was teaching, not even outside the door. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man but could not get inside, so they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and then lowered the man down. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Some of the teachers of the law interpreted this as blasphemy, since God alone can forgive sins. Mark states that "Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts." (2:8) Jesus said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins …" He says to the man "...get up, take your mat and go home." (8–11).

Mark's Gospel states that this event took in place in Capernaum. In Matthew's Gospel, it took place in "his own town" which he had reached by crossing the Sea of Galilee, while Luke's Gospel does not specify where the miracle occurred.[5] In all three it is followed by the calling of Matthew.

Interpretation[]

In his Against Heresies, Church Father Irenaeus interprets the miracle as a demonstration of Jesus's divinity:

Therefore, by remitting sins, He did indeed heal man, while He also manifested Himself who He was. For if no one can forgive sins but God alone, while the Lord remitted them and healed men, it is plain that He was Himself the Word of God made the Son of man, receiving from the Father the power of remission of sins; since He was man, and since He was God, in order that since as man He suffered for us, so as God He might have compassion on us, and forgive us our debts, in which we were made debtors to God our Creator.[6]

For Adam Clarke, there are three miracles of Jesus in this passage: the forgiveness of sins, the discernment of the private thoughts of the scribes, and the cure of the paralytic.[7] According to John Gill, the fact that Jesus knew people's thoughts was sufficient demonstration of his Messiahship, according to the teaching of the Jews. This distinguished him from false Messiahs like Simon bar Kokhba, who was unmasked and executed for not having this power.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ The Miracles of Jesus by Craig Blomberg, David Wenham (2003, ISBN 1592442854), p. 440
  2. ^ Biblegateway Matthew 9:1–8
  3. ^ Biblegateway Mark 2:1–12
  4. ^ Biblegateway Luke 5:17–26
  5. ^ Biblegateway Luke 5:17
  6. ^ Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. I, Against Heresies: Book V by Irenaeus, translated by Philip Schaff et al. Chapter XVII.
  7. ^ Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible (1831), Matthew Chapter 9
  8. ^ Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1746-63), Matthew Chapter 9
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