Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

126 ST. MATTHEW.
The paralytic is an emblem of the total inability
into which sin has cast us, and of which Jesus Christ
alone can heal us. Faith, charity, and the prayers
of the church, obtain from him our cure. See here
the confidence which a sinner should have. Christ
goes to the source of the evil, which is sin; and to
that we ought also to run back in all our maladies.
It is probable, that this pious sick man did, by his
desires, beg the cure of his soul, leaving the care of
his body to others, since Christ heals the soul before
the body. Few are there who imitate him. When
we seek, before all things, to please God by our piety,
he inspires others with the care of our temporal ne-
cessities.
" 3. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within
themselves, This man blasphemeth."
The learned who are proud and conceited, are also
blind, unbelieving, slanderers, envious, and obdurate.
They call good evil, and abuse and pervert every
thing. Christ has no manner of regard to the
offence taken by a Pharisee, which he knew would
happen. He does the good, though he foresees the
abuse of it. Let us also not omit works of charity
or justice, on the account of the evil disposition of
the pretenders to devotion, the openly profane, or of
men of corrupt knowledge. Light serves only to
blind and lead men out of the way, when it is not
joined with uprightness of heart. The most sacred
truths become often an occasion of delusion, where
men are under the government of their passions.
*' 4. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said,
Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ?"
The meekness of Jesus Christ shows itself on all