Sin And Sickness

'Et ecce quidam de scribis dixerunt intra se: Hic blasphemat.' Quid dicunt esse blasphemiam, Marcus consequenter exponit, dicens: Quis, inquiunt, potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus?' Haec commemorantes, qui eum tantum hominem putabant, licet nescientes verum, dicebant: Quia nemo potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus,' et quibus ipse dat potestam dimittendi; et ideo Christus probatur esse verus Deus, dimittens peccata quasi Deus. 'Et cum vidisset Jesus cogitationes eorum,' etc. Et quodam loco ostendit se Deum, qui potest occulta cordis cognoscere, modo tacens loquitur: Dum vestras cogitationes intueor, ex vobis intelligite quid paralyticus consequatur. Quid est facilius dicere: Dimittuntur tibi peccata, aut dicere: Surge et ambula?' utrum sint paralutico peccata dimissa, solus noverat, qui dimittebat. Surge autem et ambula, tam ille qui surgebat quam hi qui videbant approbare poterant; et ideo fit signum carnale, ut probetur spiritale, ei datur intelligi quia ob peccata corporum in debilitates veniunt; idcirco primo dimittuntur peccata, ut sanitas restituatur. Quinque siquidem sunt differentiae causarum, pro quibus in hac vita corporalibus molestiis affligimur: aut augenda merita per patientiam, ut beatus Job; aut ob custodiam virtutum, sicut apostolo Paulo datus est stimulus carnis suae, angelus Satanae colaphizans, ne magnitudine revelationum extolleretur; aut ad corrigenda peccata, sic ut Maria soror Aaron, propter temeritatis verba lepra percussa est; aut ad gloriam Dei, sicut infirmitas Lazari non ad mortem, sed pro gloria Dei fuit; aut ad inchoationem aeternae damnationis, quod reproborum est proprium, sicut Antiochus et Herodes praesenti miseria cunctis ostendebunt quod passuri perpetuo erant in gehenna. Unde dicitur: Duplici contritione contere eos. Sanctus Beda, In Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, Liber II, Caput IX Source: Migne PL 92.45c-46b

And behold some of the scribes said among themselves, 'This man blasphemes.' 1 Why they speak of blasphemy, Mark consequently explains, saying, 'Who, they said, 'is able to forgive sins but God alone?' Aware of this, those who thought Him but a man, not knowing the truth, said, 'Because no one is able to forgive sins, but only God,' 2 and to those whom He gives power to forgive, and therefore Christ is proved to be true God, forgiving sins like God. ' And when Jesus saw their thoughts...' And here He shows himself to be God, who is able to know the hidden things of the heart, as if He silently said, 'While I gaze on the thoughts within you, you yourselves shall understand what is achieved with the paralytic.' 'What is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Rise and walk?' Whether the sins of the paralytic were forgiven only He knew who forgives them. But 'Rise and walk,' so that those who see the one who rises are able to confirm it. So it is that a corporeal sign proves a spiritual one, being given to the mind through the defects of the body; thus first sins are forgiven and then health is restored. There are five different reasons why we are afflicted by troubles in this life: either to augment our merit by endurance, like the blessed Job; or on account of guarding virtue, as the apostle Paul was given a goad of the flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet him lest he become puffed up by the magnitude of revelation; or for correction of sin, like Miriam the sister of Aaron who on account of her bold words was struck down by leprosy; or for the glory of God, as the sickness of Lazarus, which was not to death but for the glory of God; or even as a prelude to eternal damnation, which is fitting for the reprobate, as it was with Antiochus and Herod who by their present misery showed what they would suffer in Hell. 3 Whence it is said by Jeremiah, 'A twofold affliction shall crush them.' 4 Saint Bede, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Book 2, Chapter 9 1 Mt 9.3 2 Mk 2.6-7 3 2 Cor 12.7, Numb 12.10, Jn 11.1-4, Acts 12.21-23, 2 Macc 9.1-28 4 Jerem 17.18