Volume 2

The Pharisees Murmur
261
ing a look full of earnestness and love on the sufferers,
cried out to them: HYour sins are forgiven you!" At this
the poor men burst into tears, while the Pharisees, highly
exasperated, growled out: HHow does He dare say so?
How can He forgive sins!" Jesus said: HFollow Me down
there, and see what I am going to do! Why are ye offended
at My doing the will of My Father? If ye do not
want salvation yourselves, yet should you not grudge it to
the repentant! Ye are angry that I cure on the Sabbath?
Does the hand of the Almighty rest on the Sabbath day
fron1 doing good and punishing evil? Does He not feed
the hungry, cure the sick, and shed around His blessings
on the Sabbath? Can He not send sickness on the Sabbath?
May He not let you die on the Sabbath? Be not
vexed that the Son does the will and the works of His
Father on the Sabbath!" When He reached the sick men,
He ordered the Pharisees to stand in a row at some distance,
saying: HStay here, for to ye these men are
unclean, though to Me not, since their sins have been
forgiven them! And now, tell Me. Is it harder to say to a
contrite sinner, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee,' than to say
to a sick man, 'Arise, and carry thy bed hence'? " The
Pharisees had not a word to answer. Then Jesus
approached the sick men, laid His hands on them one
after the other, uttered a few words of prayer over them,
raised them up by the hand, and commanded them to
render thanks to God, to sin no more, and to carry away
their beds. All four arose. The eight who had carried
them and who were themselves half-sick, had become
quite vigorous, and they helped the others to throw off
the covers in wnich they were wrapped. These latter appeared
to be only a little fatigued and embarrassed. Putting
together the poles of their portable beds, they
shouldered them, and all twelve went off through the
wondering and exulting crowd joyfully entoning the song
of thanksgiving: HPraised be the Lord God of Israel! He