5 and Jesus having seen their faith, saith to the paralytic, 'Child, thy sins have been forgiven thee.' 6 And there were certain of the scribes there sitting, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 'Why doth this one thus speak evil words? who is able to forgive sins except one—God?' 8 And immediately Jesus, having known in his spirit that they thus reason in themselves, said to them, 'Why these things reason ye in your hearts? 9 which is easier, to say to the paralytic, The sins have been forgiven to thee? or to say, Rise, and take up thy couch, and walk? 10 'And, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority on the earth to forgive sins—(he saith to the paralytic)— 11 I say to thee, Rise, and take up thy couch, and go away to thy 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.