THIS miracle of healing was wrought at Capernaum, the city adopted by the Saviour as His home after He gave up Nazareth.
It did not take place after His return from Gadara; this incident, though reserved for the opening verses of Matthew’s ninth chapter, occurred immediately after the cleansing of the leper recorded in Matt. 8:2-52And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, (Matthew 8:2‑5).
Every physical disease healed by the Saviour typifies in one way or another the moral disease of sin. Thus leprosy pictures the sinner in his uncleanness; fever shows him in his restlessness; while palsy is the expressive type of utter helplessness. Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) comes to mind here― “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Most merciful provision for a palsied race!
Four friends brought the sufferer to Jesus. In their earnestness they refused to be thwarted by the crowds that barred the door, so they let down the couch through the roof at His feet. His first words to the palsied man were not words of healing but of pardon. “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Unquestionably the soul is of greater importance than the body. The forgiveness of sins is a mightier boon than the most perfect physical health. Our Lord’s words provoked some unuttered criticisms on the part of some of His audience. “This man blasphemeth.” Omniscience in Him read their thoughts, and He rebuked them forthwith. “Who can forgive sins but God only?” The query was reasonable. What mortal man has ever had such authority granted to him by God? But He whom the scribes misjudged soon gave ample proof that He was God indeed by bidding the man take up his bed, and go to his house. “That ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins.” Every Jewish student of Dan. 7. would know that the Son of man is identical with the Ancient of Days (vv. 9, 13, 22). If He be really the Son of man of prophecy, then is He most truly divine.
His less critical observers went home saying, “We have seen strange things to-day.” Had their spiritual vision been undimmed they would have recognized that Psa. 103:33Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psalm 103:3)― “Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, Who healeth all thy diseases” ―had been fulfilled before their eyes, and each tongue would have exclaimed, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It was men’s unbelief in these wonders so often repeated in favored Capernaum, which constrained Him to say at a later date, “Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee” (Matt. 11:23-2423And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. (Matthew 11:23‑24)). Privileges unvalued entail severest judgment from God. How far does this principle apply to our favored land?