Judæa, and Jerusalem," attended in the house in which He was, and many others, "insomuch, that there was no room to receive them,—no, not so much as about the door." The concourse of these Doctors was now got together, because they had been eye and ear witnesses of Christ's works and words, and "the fame of Him was abroad;" so that He had now an opportunity among these learned, prying, and captious men, mightily and abundantly to show forth the power of healing, and to convince them He was really the Messiah. Finding the crowd too great to allow of their approaching Jesus by the door, four men, carrying "one sick of a palsy, lying on a bed," forced an opening through the upper portion of the house in which He was teaching, and lowered the decrepid man" down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus." The Eastern mode of building rendered this more practicable than it would be with us; and it showed their zeal, and earnestness, and their conviction, that in Jesus they might find a remedy which they could not find elsewhere". Many houses in Eastern countries are built without any other aperture to the street but the door or gateway, which leads to an interior court or quadrangle, towards which all the windows of the mansion front. The better apartArchbishop Sumner. Dr. Lightfoot. 6 ments are generally in an upper story, accessible from the court by a stone stair leading to an external gallery, roofed over and supported by wooden pillars, and having in front a strong balustrade of wood. It is probable that at this time Christ was in this gallery for the sake of being better seen and heard by the people while He preached unto them; and that the Doctors and Scribes were either about Him in the gallery, or in the great chambers behind, "sitting," whilst "the multitude was in the court, or upon the steps leading to the gallery, or "about the door." The roofing of this gallery is generally of a very slight construction, merely weather-boarding, or a slight covering of plaister. The roofs of the main building are flat; and their object being not only to exclude rain, but to form a terrace on which the inmates may walk, sleep, or convert to household purposes, are necessarily of substantial construction; so that, to form an opening in such a roof, would be more labour than in our own roofs, and would bring down with the endeavour such a mass of earth and rubbish, as would have absolutely filled the chambers where the people were sitting. The men, therefore, would probably bear "the man sick of the palsy" to the terraced roof, and would then with greater ease remove the slight roofing of the gallery, and lower him down at the feet of Jesus". He who never wanted inclination to pity and relieve the distressed, and judged this a fit opportunity for exercising His Divine compassion, granted their request, and healed the distemper instantly. No greater faith had been showed by any that had dealt with Christ, than was showed in this action of bringing one to Him for relief in such a manner; and, accordingly, in the most tender manner, Jesus says to the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee"." Our Saviour here speaks of the temporal, not of the eternal punishments inflicted for sin '; for, had man never committed sin, he had never known disease: and sickness is part of the curse inflicted on disobedience 2. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, and thus showing his divinity, (for to know the thoughts of other men is plainly the attribute of God,) must have been well aware how His present auditory would fire at this assertion; "for who can forgive sins but God only?" Accordingly, they exclaim, "Who is this which speaketh blasphemies ?" "This man blasphemeth." These captious men charge our Lord with blasphemy, in releasing a sick man from inward guilt; and our Lord does not gainsay the principle on which such an accusation rested, but removes it by this consequence, that, as no power but • Dean Stanhope. ⚫ Dr. Lightfoot. 2 Bishop Horne. 7 Pictorial Bible. 1 God's could forgive sins, so none but God could work the miracle ; and because He could thus show His power to forgive sins, He could also glorify the doctrine of forgiveness of sins before those Pharisees, who stood altogether upon legal righteousness. Our Lord was guilty of no blasphemy, when to the poor paralytic He vouchsafed to pronounce the comfortable words, "Thy sins are forgiven thee;" for He was Himself vested with His Father's authority; was Himself God, as well as man,-the Maker and Governor of the world. To prove that He had not been guilty of a vain presumptuous boast, He instantly restored the poor cripple before their eyes to health and vigour; and with all the majesty of His manner, and with a view to show His full right to pardon offenders, He said unto them, "Wherefore think ye evil in your heart? for whether is it easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? but that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk "." What miracle could be more complete, more glorious, than this? What could the Scribes and Doctors say to this? Could they any longer doubt whether the man's sins were forgiven him, and whether Jesus was the Christ? Dean Stanhope. ⚫ Dr. Ogden. * Dr. Lightfoot. 6 Dr. Robinson. They remained speechless, neither willing to commend, nor able to censure; but the hearts of the commonalty, more generous, and more open to conviction, were most sensibly touched at seeing the paralytic leap off his bed ;-" they marvelled and glorified God"." SECT. XXXIII.-Christ calleth Matthew, and eateth with Publicans.-Matt. ix. 9-13; Mark ii. 14-17; Luke v. 66 27-32. As Jesus passed along the sea-shore, He saw Matthew, or Levi, (for he calls himself the latter; but the other two Evangelists call him by the former name,) "sitting at the receipt of custom :" his duty there was to receive from those who crossed the lake the toll or tribute of the passengers. These persons were called 'publicans ;" and were employed in the collection of the revenue by the Romans. Their dependence and connexion with their conquerors rendered them particularly odious to the Jewish people: accordingly, they were shunned in the intercourse of life by all men of pretension to character; and it was even held that vows made to them might be broken, as with murderers and thieves. Such was the body to which St. Matthew belonged; yet so great was the power and efficacy of Christ, in His Spirit and grace, that the call given to the Evangelist, though urged by no persuasions 7 Bishop Horne. 8 Pictorial Bible. |