9:1–8 Jesus leaves the region of Gadara on the east shore of Galilee and returns by boat to Capernaum (cf. Mark 2:1). There, some men bring to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. In Jesus’ day most people slept on mattresslike pads on the floor. Thus the mat would be a sort of pallet or stretcher that could be carried without undue difficulty. When Jesus saw their faith, that is, their confidence that he could restore the paralyzed man to health, he said, Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.

In the ancient world there was a widespread belief that sickness was the result of sin. Barclay cites Rabbi Chija ben Abba as representative of this point of view: “No sick person is cured from sickness, until all his sins are forgiven him” (vol. 1, p. 327). In John 9 Jesus’ disciples ask concerning …