The National tribune., 1890-03-13
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical i'riies Taught by Study OF tho later.
national SHni4y-sehoa Lesson Appointed foE
SiErch -. 81. Luke, ) 1926.


We have three accounts of this miracle to
wit, st. Matt. 90 81 st. Marx, 2:1-12 st.
LIKE, :: 17-18. The last one is appointed for
Cur stuay, but we should critically read the
other two. Though ST. Matthew was NEST
likely witness, Eo writes the hrcfest account
II he were not actually present when the mira
Gle was PERFORMED he must have heard all
about ii, seeing that he lived in the city whore
it was wrought and was a man in public life
-. Marks account Is fullest. He mentions
several particulars for which, as students, we
arc very grateful TO him. 70 men writing an
der the guidance and suggestions Of the Holy
Spirit personal knowledge rs to events report
cd is not necessary. T. Pet, l:21.) And to
such the interval Of 30 years between events
and tho written history is of no consequence SO
tar 40 respects accuracy.
. Time
This miracle was effected, VIC may say, in
March. a. d. q, or 1863 yenrs ago. We find
fhat Christ went 10 Capernaum. remained u
while, and then set out on q sort of circuit
through some of the towns of GaIiIce. (5t.
Mark, /; Il, 50, 30 st. Mark, ? l, states lie
returned. We TO not know how long lie was
absent. The some days st. Mark, . II
seem to be covered by 81. Mark, / 80. st.
Luke. 8: II, gives the definite day.
3 Where.
This miracle was wrought at Capernaum.
(St Mark, 2:I.) That was Christs Gown
city" (St. Matt, 0: /. Compare IL 23) The
cure took place in Il house We are probably
TO understand st. Peters residence (St Matt,
8: H. 20; 1924. %; st. Mark, / %; St Luke,
4:3Sj We are informed that the miracle was
performed ia probably the court of tho house.
Eastern houses were made with fiat roofs.
In the center of tho roof square, large aper-
tnre was left, which went down through the
entire house. From the bottom or floor of this
aperture inmates could look up through the
open center Of the dwelling to the sky. The
base was generally solid pavement. Persons
were prevented from falling over down through
this aperture 10 the pavement below by rail-
ing, having such names As balustrade. balcony,
brcdstw0rk, parapet. All tho rooms of the
house opened in the rear into this central court.
We may say that each house was square,
built around middle central court There
was single front door, opening into n hall
running through to the central court. In the
hall, stairs led 10 the roof. In thickIy settled
places houses were built in long rows, their
roofs connecting so that one could 20 a long
distance on said roofs. over the aperture in
the roof an awning was often drawn TO keep out
heat aud rain. The roofs were often made OF
burnt clay, formed into tiles or slabs, aud hence
the aperture III the roof might be called an
opening through the thing. (St. Luke, ;: 49,
They let the man down through an opening of
the tiled roof. To uncover the roof (St. Mark,
=: a. may mean to rem9ve the canvas which ex-
tended over the opening of the roof. ut" (St.
Mark, 2 H. IS not in the original Greek aud
We may understand by that pronOnn, the railing
around the central opening OF the roof 1t wcnld
be difficult to get the man up over that. To make
it easier for the four mon, and specially for the
patient, they may have broken away portion
OF the bglustradc. To get the man upon the
roof of st. Peters house was impracticable on
account OF the crowd. The four probably went
TO the porch of neighbOriu residence, as
ccnded the stairs TO the roof, ana then passed
along over the several connected roofs till they
reached the opening down into the court of the
house where Jesus was. " Into the midst" (St.
Lake, D; 49, means into tho middle of the
house, TO wit, through tho central opening.
Or the idea may be- that they lot the man down
into the very presence OF Christ-into, as IL
were. his very aTms-betwecn him and the
surging masses. We remember the hight of
the rooms was not great We may therefore sup
pose, as art generally has pictured ia represent
ing the scene, that they tied ropes TO the four
corners of tho pallet, letting the man down
into the court.
IL seems from st. Matt. OF, that the sick
man had house. Perhaps, however, the ref
erence is not to ownership. The residence was
probably in Caperuaum man so utterly
helpless could not have been brought on mat
from far.
4. The Patient
We do not know the name of the sick man.
Ho was probably an adult, and yet youth.
Christ though himself not much over 80 years
OF age called the patient son" st. Matt,
0:2), or child. But s. Luke , 20 has the
title man" We may infer he was full grown
from the fact it required four men To- carry
him. The extreme helplessness OF the person,
aud possibly the great pain from any jolting,
ba raftntrsH rutt ar far Tba
comfort of the sick person than because of
actual weight and size. We do not know how
long the man had suffered We are not prob
ably to understand st. Marx, l 81, and ST.
Luke, A 40, as absolutely universal, aud so
infer the man of the palsy contracted the dis
ease since that curing of all persons sick in
Capernaum. Being an adult, it is quite likely
tho patient was . married person, since the
almost universal custom was TO wed aud to we'd
early in life. He had friends. We cannot
state whether the idea of cure through Christ
originated with the four or with the patient.
1t became known that Jesus was performing
wonderful cures. The pasied man could not
go to Christ. Hence, four friends interested for
the sick man went TO his homo and offered
assistance in getting him to Jesus. The patient
was sinner. We would think he had been
rather noted for evil. At any rate his sin was
tho feature which first of all attracted the
attention OF the Savior. IL is possible the
idea OF his sinfulness was uppormoSt in the
mind of the sick mau-that Christ recog-
nizod that fact. aud wanted at once to re-
lieve the sufferer of said burden. 1t was quite
possible the mans disease was due TO some we'll
known dissouteness. But however this be, it
is moro important one be forgiven of sin than
cured of disease. Righteousness is first aud
other things atterward. Jesus rightly ranked
salvation rs of most value, and taught the
world for all time the relative position of piety.
We are not to suppose the man totally passive.
He probably exercised faith
5. The -Four Helpers
We owe to the account given by ST. Mark
our knowledge of tho number engaged in as.
sisting in getting the sick man TO Christ. (St.
Mark. 81 They were true friends Learn
ing of the power OF Jesus, they recalled the help
less condition of the sick young man. They
went to his home and profored their aid. They
were very eager for the cure. They sought"
(St. Luke, 81 49, means. They did not easily
give up. " Find " in next verse corresponds
with sought" Then, having sought thus far
unsuccessully, they carried the man up to the
housetop of q neighboring residence. 1t must
have been u labor. The patient had to DO ear
ried up. Another obstacle presented itself
the balustrade and u covered roof They broke
away part of the parapet. Then they were Just
above Christ. Carefully and evidently labori-
ously and concertedly they let the man down
before the very face of Christ.
@. The Disease.
Palsy ia n general name IL Ia a Ioss of con