5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to him, Son, you have forgiveness for your sins. 6 But there were certain of the scribes seated there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why does this man say such things? he has no respect for God: from whom does forgiveness come but from God only? 8 And Jesus, having knowledge in his spirit of their thoughts, said to them, Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is the simpler, to say to a man who is ill, You have forgiveness for your sins, or, Get up, take up your bed, and go? 10 But so that you may see that the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins on earth, (he said to the man,) 11 I say to you, Get up, take up your bed, and go to your house.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 2:5-11
Commentary on Mark 2:1-12
(Read Mark 2:1-12)
It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.