Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men

 

 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. 

 

- Matthew 9:1–8 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly, they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.   

 

  So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Jesus' own city, in this case, refers to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13).  It is His Galilean ministry headquarters.

 

  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  My study Bible says that, as shown by this healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  Faith is collective as well as personal, as illustrated by this story -- the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in his healing.  There are three signs of Christ's divinity shown here:  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30); Second, He forgives sins, which is a power that belongs to God alone; and finally, He heals by the power of His word.  

 

If we compare the people in today's story with the people in yesterday's story, we see a great difference.   In yesterday's reading, rather than finding it important that the demon-possessed men had been healed, the townspeople simply requested that Jesus leave them, as they had lost their swine.  But here, when this man was restored, the multitudes marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.   This is a key to something about faith; that is, in the recognition of what is truly good, people seek to glorify God.  It is an expression of an openness to God.  Clearly the capacity for gratitude is also linked to this mindset, just as the inability to feel or know gratitude -- or to recognize good things -- is linked to a spiritual deafness or blindness.  So, if we look at these details of the story, those involving the multitudes who witness, we see also the link to the expression of faith in a collective, community sense.  It is not only that the friends of the paralytic facilitate his healing, but that all of those who witness glorify God as well.  Moreover, let us take a look at what exactly it is they glorify God for giving to human beings:    they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  This is another spiritual lesson within the story, this ability to recognize what God has done -- and specifically this power given to human beings.  That is an elevation of humanity in and of itself, a lesson of the Incarnation.  To recognize this divine blessing, a glorification of humanity in a sense, and to in turn glorify God, is a kind of reciprocation that is God-like in and of itself.  The ancient Orthodox liturgical prayer of Dismissal (written by St. John Chrysostom), begins, "Lord, You bless those who bless You."   They bless God who has blessed them.   Let us note the vast difference between those with spiritual eyes and ears, and those without.  For blessings, even stupendous ones as in today's reading, must be recognized.  We might be surprised at how often they are not.