Matthew 9:2

They brought to him. man sick of the palsy.

As. demonstration of Christ's divine power, he was pleased to single out the palsy and leprosy, incurable diseases, to work. cure upon such as were afflicted with them.-- Burkitt. Mark informs us that there was such. crowd that the palsied man had to be let down through the roof.

Seeing their faith.

The four bearers of the helpless man and the man himself. The sick man and his friends showed their faith by overcoming great obstacles in order to come to Christ for help; and this showed their confidence, both in his willingness and his ability to help. Observe the illustration of true faith,--not. strong conviction of any doctrine about Christ, but. strong trust and confidence in Christ. Observe, too, that, apparently, Christ answers the prayer before it is presented. They say nothing: he speaks to the silent prayer of their actions.-- Abbott.

Saith to the sick of the palsy.

Palsy is. contraction of the word paralysis.. disease which deprives the part affected of sensation or the power of motion, or both, according as the sensory or the motor nerves, or both, are attacked. As the term is used in the New Testament, it imports apoplexy, or paralysis of the whole system.. fearful form of this disease is known in Eastern countries. The limbs remain immovably fixed in the position in which they were at the time of the attack, and the suffering is so exquisitely severe that death is often occasioned in. few days (Matthew 8:6).-- Schaff's Bible Dictionary.

Son, be of good cheer.

Literally, "child,". word of tender affection. The encouragement of good cheer came before the bodily healing, because. still greater blessing had been bestowed, on account of his and their active faith.

Thy sins be forgiven thee.

The Revision says, "Thy sins are forgiven." The Greek is in the past tense. Possibly he had brought his sickness upon himself by means of his sins; but was now penitent, and. believer in the Messiah. He saw into the moral condition of the sick man, and knew how it came that this paralysis was really the punishment of his special sins (probably of sensuality). Accordingly he first of all promises forgiveness as being the moral condition necessary to the healing of the body; and then having by forgiveness removed the hindrance, he proceeds to impart that healing itself by an exercise of his supernatural power.-- Meyer. Jesus saw that the assurance of forgiveness was what he most needed, whether because his conscience was oppressed with. sense of guilt, or that he must be brought to think more of the sin than of the suffering.-- MacDonald. It would seem that the man's conscience had been quickened through his sickness.-- Riddle.