John Chrysostom, On the Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

the sick were able to believe. Hear, then, what the Canaanite woman says: My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon, and sometimes she falls into the water, and sometimes into the fire; and she, being darkened and possessed, and never able to be in her right mind, nor being of sound health, how could she have been able to believe? As it was therefore with the Canaanite woman, so it was also with the centurion; the servant was laid in the house, not knowing Christ himself, nor who he was, how then was he going to believe in one unknown, and of whom he had as yet no experience? But it is not possible to say this of this man; but the paralytic believed. How is this clear? From the very manner of his being brought. For do not simply hear that they let him down through the roof; but consider how great a thing it is for a sick man to endure suffering this. For you surely know this, that the sick are so fainthearted and hard to please, as often to refuse even the treatments on their bed, and to choose to bear the pains from their diseases, rather than to endure the burden of the remedies. But this man endured both to come forth from his house, and to enter the marketplace being carried, and to show himself with so many present. And this is a custom for the sick, to die within, rather than to reveal their own misfortunes. But not so this sick man; but seeing the theater filled, the entrances walled up, the harbor closed off, he endured to be let down through the roof. So resourceful is desire, and so inventive is love. For he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. He did not say to his relatives: What 51.57 is this? Why are you making a disturbance? Why are you in a hurry? Let us wait for the room to be emptied, for the theater to be dispersed; those who are gathered will depart, we will be able to approach him privately, and to confer about these things. Why must my misfortunes be set forth in the midst with everyone watching, and be let down from above, and be put to shame? He said none of these things, neither to himself nor to those carrying him, but he considered it an honor to make so many witnesses of his own healing. But not from this alone was it possible to see his faith, but also from the very words of Christ. For when he was let down and brought near, Christ says to him: Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven you. And hearing these things he was not indignant, he was not displeased, he did not say to the physician: What is this? I came to be healed of one affliction, and he heals another? This is an excuse and a pretext, and a cloak for weakness. You forgive sins which are not seen? He said none of these things, nor thought them; but he waited, permitting the physician to use the method of healing which he wished. For this reason Christ also did not go to him, but waited for him to come, that he might show his faith to all. For was he not able to make the entrance easy? But he did none of these things, that he might show to all his zeal, and his fervent faith. For just as he went to that man who had been ill for thirty-eight years because no one was with him; so this man, since he had many relatives, he waited for him to come to him, that he might make this one's faith manifest by his being brought, and might teach us of that one's desolation by going to him, and might reveal this one's zeal and that one's patience to all, and especially to those then present. For since some Jews, being envious and misanthropic, are accustomed to begrudge the good deeds done for their neighbors, and now to criticize the miracles on the basis of the timing, saying, that he heals on the sabbath, and now on the basis of the life of those who are benefitted, saying: If this man were a prophet, he would know who the woman touching him was; not knowing that this is especially the part of a physician, to mingle with the sick, and to be always seen beside those who are ill, but not to flee from them nor to leap away. Which thing indeed, directing his words to them, he said: Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. In order, then, that they might not make the same accusations again, he first shows that those who are worthy of the healing are

ἠδύναντο πιστεύειν οἱ νοσοῦντες. Ἄκουσον οὖν τί φησιν ἡ Χαναναία· Ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν πίπτει εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ποτὲ δὲ εἰς τὸ πῦρ· ἡ δὲ σκοτουμένη καὶ δαιμονῶσα, καὶ μηδὲ ἐν ἑαυτῇ δυναμένη γενέσθαι ποτὲ, μηδὲ ὑγιαίνουσα, πῶς ἂν ἠδυνήθη πιστεῦσαι; Ὡς οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς Χαναναίας, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου· ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐβέβλητο ὁ παῖς, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς εἰδὼς τὸν Χριστὸν, οὐδὲ ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν, πῶς οὖν ἤμελλε τῷ ἀγνοουμένῳ πιστεύειν, καὶ οὗ μηδεμίαν οὐδέπω πεῖραν εἰλήφει; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου ἔστι τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπίστευσεν ὁ παράλυτος. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς προσαγωγῆς. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ ἁπλῶς ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι καθῆκαν αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ στέγους· ἀλλ' ἐννόησον, ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀῤῥωστοῦντα τοῦτο παθεῖν ἀνέχεσθαι. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο, ὅτι οὕτω μικρόψυχοι καὶ δυσάρεστοι νοσοῦντές εἰσιν, ὡς καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ κλίνης θεραπείας διακρούεσθαι πολλάκις, καὶ αἱρεῖσθαι τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν νοσημάτων φέρειν ὀδύνας, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν βοηθημάτων ὑπομένειν ἐπάχθειαν. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ τῆς οἰκίας προελθεῖν ἠνέσχετο, καὶ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβαλεῖν βασταζόμενος, καὶ τοσούτων παρόντων ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔθος τοῖς ἀῤῥωστοῦσιν ἐναποθανεῖν, ἢ τὰς οἰκείας ἐκκαλύψαι συμφοράς. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ἄῤῥωστος οὗτος οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἰδὼν τὸ θέατρον πεπληρωμένον, τὰς εἰσόδους ἀποτετειχισμένας, τὸν λιμένα ἀποκεκλεισμένον, διὰ τοῦ στέγους ἠνέσχετο χαλασθῆναι. Οὕτως εὐμήχανον ὁ πόθος, καὶ εὔπορον ἡ ἀγάπη. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει, καὶ τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται. Οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς προσήκοντας αὐτῷ· Τί ποτε 51.57 τοῦτό ἐστιν; τί θορυβεῖσθε; τί δὲ ἐπείγεσθε; Ἀνασχώμεθα κενωθῆναι τὸ δωμάτιον, διαλυθῆναι τὸ θέατρον· ἀναχωρήσουσιν οἱ συνειλεγμένοι, δυνησόμεθα κατιδίαν αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν, καὶ περὶ τούτων ἀνακοινώσασθαι. Τί δεῖ πάντων ὁρώντων εἰς μέσον προτεθῆναι τὰς ἐμὰς συμφορὰς, καὶ ἄνωθεν χαλᾶσθαι, καὶ ἀσχημονεῖν; Τούτων οὐδὲν ἐκεῖνος οὔτε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς κομίζοντας εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ κόσμον εἶναι ἐνόμιζε τὸ μάρτυρας τοσούτους ποιήσασθαι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θεραπείας. Οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ μόνον αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν ἦν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ῥημάτων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐχαλάσθη καὶ προσηνέχθη, φησὶν αὐτῷ ὁ Χριστός· Θάρσει, τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Καὶ ταῦτα ἀκούσας οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν, οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν, οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἰατρόν· Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστιν; ἕτερον ἦλθον θεραπευθῆναι πάθος, καὶ ἕτερον αὐτὸς θεραπεύει; Σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις, καὶ ἀσθενείας προκαλύμματα. Ἁμαρτίας ἀφίεις τὰς οὐχ ὁρωμένας; Οὐδὲν τούτων οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν· ἀλλ' ἀνέμενεν ἐπιτρέπων τὸν ἰατρὸν ὁδῷ χρήσασθαι θεραπείας, ἧσπερ ἐβούλετο. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἀνέμεινεν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα ἐπιδείξῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν πᾶσι. Μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο τὴν εἴσοδον ποιῆσαι εὔκολον; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἐποίησεν, ἵνα πᾶσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπιδείξῃ, καὶ τὴν ζέουσαν πίστιν. Καθάπερ γὰρ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τριάκοντα ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχοντα ἀπῄει διὰ τὸ μηδένα αὐτῷ παρεῖναι· οὕτω τοῦτον, ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς εἶχε τοὺς προσήκοντας, ἀνέμεινεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἵνα καὶ τούτου τὴν πίστιν ποιήσῃ δήλην διὰ τοῦ προσενεχθῆναι, κἀκείνου τὴν ἐρημίαν ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ διὰ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ τούτου τὴν σπουδὴν κἀκείνου τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἐκκαλύψῃ πᾶσι, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς τότε παροῦσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰώθασιν Ἰουδαῖοι βάσκανοί τινες καὶ μισάνθρωποι ταῖς τῶν πλησίον εὐεργεσίαις φθονεῖν, καὶ νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ τοῖς θαύμασιν ἐπισκήπτειν λέγοντες, ὅτι ἐν σαββάτῳ θεραπεύει, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου τῶν εὐεργετουμένων λέγοντες· Εἰ ἦν προφήτης οὗτος, ᾔδει τίς ἦν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἁπτομένη αὐτοῦ· οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι ἰατροῦ μάλιστα τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ τοῖς ἀῤῥωστοῦσιν ἀναμίγνυσθαι, καὶ παρὰ τοὺς νοσοῦντας ἀεὶ φαίνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ φυγεῖν αὐτοὺς μηδὲ ἀποπηδᾷν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀποτεινόμενος ἔλεγεν· Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἐγκαλῶσι, πρότερον δείκνυσιν ὡς ἄξιοι τῆς θεραπείας εἰσὶν οἱ