Discourse about the paralytic at the font (John 5:2-16)

Composition by St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s “Conversation about the Paralytic at the Font” presents an explanation of John. 5:2–16, with some edifying deviations, calling for faith in Christ the Healer, for moral correction of life, teaching to correctly look at the book of Song of Songs as a prophecy about Christ and His sufferings. The sermon develops the theme of the spiritual significance of Christ's healing. At the end of the sermon there is a call to adhere to the teaching, which in some manuscripts is called “fatherly”, in others - “active”. The call to adhere to the instructions of the “father”, i.e. bishop, indicates that the sermon was delivered by St. Cyril when he was a presbyter (in the 40s of the 4th century). *The title of the work in Greek is ῾Ομιλία εἰς τὸν παραλυτικόν. *The title of the work in Latin is Homilia in paralyticum. Where Jesus appears, there will be salvation. For if he sees a tax collector sitting at the tollhouse, he makes him an Apostle and Evangelist (Matthew 9:9), if he is buried with the dead, he raises the dead; He gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and goes around the fonts not to be curious about the structure, but to heal the sick. There was “a sheep font in Jerusalem”, which had five porches: four standing around, and the fifth in the middle, in which lay many sick people, and great was the unbelief of the Jews (John 5:2-3). And the doctor of souls and bodies, as illnesses progressed, provided healing, first treating the long-term sufferer, so that he would soon be freed from torment. For not one day, or two, and not one month, or a year, he lay there, but thirty-eight years. Lying in a long-term illness, he was known to the audience, and showed the power of the Healer: for from a long time ago everyone knew the paralytic. Although the initial doctor showed his strength, he was rejected by those who received him poorly. Walking around the font, “I saw”, not by asking, but by Divine action, I made up for the lack of questioning. "Seeing" (John 5:6), without asking from what time it lies. But having seen, he knew who knew the vision before. For if, regarding what is in the heart, “it is not required of you, but whoever bears witness about a man: for he himself knows what is in a man” (John 2:25): then how much more did he know about diseases that attack from without. I saw a certain man lying down and suffering from a serious illness. For this one had a great burden of sins and long-term suffering from illness. He is asked a question similar to his desire: “Do you want to be whole” (John 5:6)? And he did not say anything else, but left him in a misunderstanding of the question: because the question was twofold. For he was not only sick in body, but also in soul, as later the Doctor said to him: “Behold, thou art in health: let no one sin, lest any worse befall him” (John 5:14), for this reason he asked him: “Do you want to be whole?” Oh how great is it: “Do you want to be whole”? Oh, how great is the power of the Healer, who offers his help to the will of the one who wants it! Since salvation comes from faith, the paralytic heard this question: “Do you want it?” so that action may be produced by will. This verb befits Jesus alone, and not physical doctors. For doctors of sensory diseases cannot say to everyone: “Do you want to be whole?” Jesus grants the will, accepts the faith, and gives the gift to the will. The Savior once walked along the path, and two blind men sat (Matthew 20:30), blind with their bodies, but enlightened with their minds. For whom the scribes did not see, the crying blind showed him. Because the Pharisees, studying the law (2 Tim 3:7), and from youth even to old age thinking about Him, but growing old in ignorance, said, “for... this... we do not know where it is from” (John 9:29): “for they came to their own, and their own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). The blind cried out, saying: “Son David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 9:27, 20:31). (Matthew 9:28) And this: “Whatever will I do to you?” (Matthew 20:32) I didn’t say what I wanted, so I could tell you? But “whatever you want, let me do to you?” For the Creator was also the Giver of Life, who did not now begin to create (because the “Father” always “does” Him (John 5:17), and He does with the Father) and the Creator was only one mania. The One Himself, directly born of the One, asks the blind, saying: “Whatever you want, I will do for you.” Not not knowing what they wanted, for this was obvious, but wanting to communicate their gift through their words, waiting for them to convince Him with their words. For the leader of the heart did not know what they wanted to say: but he waited for speech from them, so that His question would have its effect. Having thus imagined this, the doctor spontaneously came to the sick man (and it is not at all surprising that the one who spontaneously came from heaven to us came to the paralytic lying near the font), and asked him: “Do you want to be whole” (John 5:6)? With a question, bringing him into knowledge, and arousing him to the question. A gift of great grace, because it was undeserved; That’s why the sick person had a doctor who came voluntarily. He said: “Yes, Lord” (John 5.7). The many years of my ailments make me desire health, and I desire it, “but I am not a man” (John 5:7). Do not be sad, O man! that you do not have a man: you have a future God, Who is in one part man, and in another God is: both must be confessed. For the confession of one humanity, without the Divinity, is useless, and even more brings an oath: for “Cursed is the one who trusts in man” (Jeremiah 17:5). Therefore, if we, hoping in Jesus, only hope for man, and not together with the Divinity, we inherit a curse. Now we confess both God and man, both are true: God, truly begotten of the true Father, and worshiping man, not by dream, but by truth, begotten, we await true salvation. Without a doubt, I want to be whole, but “I am not an imam.” Look, wasn’t it where (the Savior) had an effect where salvation became scarce? For many of the sick had homes, also known ones, and some others, but this one was truly oppressed by all kinds of misery, and had no help from external help, but being left alone, he had the Only Begotten Son of God as a helper. “Do you want to be whole? ...hey, Lord, but the imam is not a man, so that when the waters are troubled, he will throw me into the pool” (John 5:6, 7). You have a source, according to this: “As You have a fountain of life” (Ps 36:10), a source, producing springs. “Whoever drinks from the water of sowing” (John 4:14), “rivers will flow out of his belly” (John 7:38), not waters flowing down, but leaping waters (for the water of Jesus is not from the high countries to the lower ones, but from the earthly to the heavenly leaping us does). The waters leap into the eternal belly: for Jesus is the fountain of good things. And what do you expect from the font? You have One who walks on the waters (Matthew 14:25), Who rebukes the winds (Matthew 8:26), Who bridles the sea (Mark 4:39), Who not only has the sea laid out for himself in the likeness of a foundation, but also gave Peter uniform power to walk on it. When it was a dark night, and the light itself appeared, and was not known: (for Jesus, who walked on the waters, was not known, being visible by the features of his face: but the quality of the voice announced His presence) then those who thought to see the ghost were afraid (Matthew 14:25, 26). Jesus said to them: “I am, do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). And Peter says to Him: “If You are”, Whom I know, moreover Whom the Father told me, “Command me to come to You on the waters” (Matthew 14:28). Jesus, as a generous Giver, says to him: “Come” (Matthew 14:29). And so the Tamer of the waters and the Creator stood by the waters of the font, to whom the paralytic said: “I am not an imam of man, lest when the waters become troubled, he will throw me into the font” (John 5:7). The Savior says to him: why do you expect troubled waters? Heal yourself without indignation. What and visible movement do you expect? In a word, My command is accomplished faster than thought. Look only at the power of the source, and know God revealed in the flesh. And do not look at what is visible, but at him who works through what is visible. “There is no imam for a man, but when the waters become troubled, he will throw me into the font.” Jesus said to him: Why do you expect small things? Why are you looking for healing from water? “Arise” (John 5:8), you should say “resurrection” (John 11:25). For everywhere the Savior is all things to all: bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, resurrection to the dead, physician to the sick, salvation to sinners. “Arise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). But first arise, first put aside your illness: then accept the strength of faith. First strengthen yourself against the bed that carries you: and in a wooden bag learn to carry that which has carried you for a long time. And this Savior commands to carry a wooden bed, about Whom it is said: “The King will make for himself a bed... from the trees of Lebanon. Thou shalt make his pillars of silver,...his rise of scarlet, and laid stone within him” (Song 3:9, 10). These are the images of suffering presented in the wedding Songs of Songs, sober and chaste: for you should not, in the opinion of many, accepting these words, and without any reasoning, consider them to be lustful songs: but take them as conversations between the bride and groom, filled with chastity. And if you do not understand these songs, proceed to the parables, and ascend to them by path and degrees. “Wisdom has created for herself a house”: as if we are talking about a wife: and “her servants are her ambassadors” (Prov. 9:1, 3). And again in another place to say: “desire her, and he will keep you” (Proverbs 4:6). Here is not the desire of the wife, but wisdom, which drives away (carnal) lust. For where wisdom is gained, lust is also driven away. Because wisdom has not passions (carnal), but rational thoughts. “The horses of misogyny have been created” (Jer 5:8), what a dumb desire! So, if in the Songs of Songs you hear something said about the bride and groom, do not crawl on the ground and do not listen to this passionately: (but) strive from impassive things against passions. So, meditate on the Divine Songs, filled with chastity and signifying the suffering of Christ. For they, announcing the suffering of the Savior, also speak about the place: he went into the “vertograd” (Song 5:1) and was buried there. And they mention about aromas: “My ointment is full” (Song 5:13). For the vision was fulfilled: and they tell about the circumstances that came true after the resurrection: “I ate my bread with my honey” (Song 5:1). They gave Him honeycombs from the bees (Luke 24:42). And about the wine of myrrh dissolved (Mk 15:23), the Song of Songs again said: “I will give you drink from the wine, with the stench of what was built” (Song 8:2). And about the peace poured out on His head, they said in another place: “until the King [will] be in his astonishment, my backgammon will give its stench” (Song 1:11). “As He reclined in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came, having the alabaster of the myrrh of spikenard, of great value, and crushed the alabaster, which she poured on His head” (Mark 14:3). Likewise about the cross: “bed” (Song 3:9), that is, the tree of the cross, bearing (the Crucified One). “Make his pillars of silver” (Song 3:10), for the beginning of the Cross, or betrayal, was silver. Just as a beautiful house has a golden vault built on top, and the whole building is supported by pillars, so the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ had its beginning in silver. For if Judas had not betrayed Him; then He would not have been crucified. And for the beginning of glorious suffering, “make His pillars of silver.” “His scarlet is rising” (Song 3:10). For this reason they clothed Him with purple (Matthew 27:28); although swearing, he did it according to the prophecy, for there was a King. And although they did it especially as a curse, they already did it; and this happened in commemoration of the Royal dignity. And although there was a crown of thorns, it was a crown woven by soldiers, for Kings are proclaimed from soldiers. “Its sunrise is scarlet, its interior is covered with stone.” The teachers of the Church know Liphostroton, called (in Hebrew) Gavvatha 1, which was in the courtyard of Pilate. I said this after the word departed from the bed to the carrier. So he said to him: “Arise, take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8). The disease is long-lasting, but the cure is very quick. There has been many years of relaxation, and the strengthening of the veins has been very hasty. For He was the One who formed the sinews, who gave various healings to the blind, and with the anointing of clay bestowed miraculous healing (John 9:6, 7). For whoever anoints the eyes of a sighted man with clay will hinder his sight; Jesus, through the clay, gave sight to the blind. And again in other ways the power was given: and with this word: “Arise, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). What kind of horror do you think gripped the audience then? But although what was seen was wonderful; however, the unbelief is fierce. For a long-term illness was healed, but long-term unbelief was not healed. But the Jews still remained in their passions, and did not want to be healed. For if it was necessary to be horrified, then it was necessary to worship the Physician of souls and bodies. They grumbled (John 5:10), because there were a generation of murmurers, turning good into evil, and “speaking... bitter is sweet, and sweet is bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). But Jesus acted with all fear on the Sabbath, doing that which surpasses the Sabbath, so that works might convince them. Since the word prevails by word, the deed remains invincible: it healed on the Sabbath, and teaches us not to contradict with words, but to convince those who watch with deeds. They said: “The Sabbath is, and it is not worthy for you to take your bed” (John 5:10). The lawgiver stood before him, and someone said: “He is not worthy of you”? Lord, set a lawgiver over them” (Ps. 9:21): it is said about the Savior. And he who has recently been healed in soul and body, having received the wise word from wisdom, does not hesitate to answer: not having to answer from the law, but making a short answer. All of you, he says, know my long-term illness and many years of lying, my complete loneliness in suffering. None of you ever showed your concern to take me and throw me first into the font so that I could be healed. And if you did not provide care then, how do you now accept the power of the Lawgiver, saying: “You are not worthy to take your bed”? So, I give you the shortest answer: “He who made me whole, he who spoke to me” (John 5:11). If you despise me, then bring fear to the deed itself: you didn’t apply a plaster, you didn’t use medical tricks and aids, but you said the word, and the deed was done. He commanded, and I carry out the command. I obey the command of Him who healed me by command. For if He who commanded was not able to heal me with commands, then it would not be appropriate to listen to them. But first, He commanded with a word that the long-term illness would actually be healed; then I very rightly listen to Him, Whom even my illness changed by listening: “Who made me whole, He said to me: Take your bed” (John 5:11). “He who heals does not know who he is” (John 5:13) He who heals. From this it is clear how far the Savior was from vanity: for having healed, he turned away, so as not to be known from the healing. We all do the opposite. If you happen to have a dream, or to help with the laying on of hands, or to cast out a demon with a spell, then we try so little to hide this good deed that we boast about it, although they don’t ask. Jesus, teaching us by deeds, does not speak about Himself; when He gave healing, He withdrew without delay, so that they would not know Him: He went away at a timely time, and He came at a timely time. For when there should have been praise for such a glorious deed, then he departs: but when the people dispersed, then, in order to give spiritual healing after the physical healing, he comes again and says: “Behold, you are healthy, to no one sin” (John 5:14). The Doctor acts differently, sometimes first the soul, then healing the body: sometimes on the contrary: “let no one sin, let no worse befall” (John 5:14), teaching many through one. For the word is not addressed to him alone, but to all of us. Even if we fall into illness, or sorrow, or misfortune: no one attribute this to God. “God is not the tempter of the evil; He tempts no one” (James 1:13): but every one of us, drawn captive by his sins (Proverbs 5.22), is beaten. “Let no one sin more bitterly” (John 5:14): Hear this word, every man: let him who was before a fornicator put aside this passion; and let him who was before a bribe-taker be generous. Listen to the predator, “let no one sin.” Great is God's unforgettable malice, abundant is his grace! but you did not accept this immeasurable patience as an accident of contempt: and do not sin for the reason that God is long-suffering. But heal your carnal passions, and say at the right time what you read before: “For when we were driven in the flesh, the passions of sin, which were the law, came to work in our lives” (Rom. 7:5). Although the Apostle says, “when I am in the flesh,” he is not talking about that flesh with which we are surrounded, but about carnal deeds. For while still wearing flesh he said, “When I was running in the flesh.” But just as, having brought the flood, God said, “My Spirit should not abide in these men... for they are flesh” (Gen. 6:3): because the spirit was changed into the will of the flesh: so here the Apostle says: “when I am driven in the flesh.” Let no one therefore be in the flesh, but being in the flesh, let him not walk in the flesh (2 Cor 10:2-3). For the Apostle does not want this, that we should completely withdraw from the world and not do evil: but that we, being in the flesh, should enslave the flesh and not be possessed by it. We will not work, but we will dominate: we will begin to eat food in moderation, not being aggravated by gluttony, but bridling our belly, so that we can have power over other passions. Let the body be controlled by the soul, and let the soul not be carried away by carnal pleasures: “let no one sin, let no one suffer any worse” (John 5:14). The word is preached to all: and oh that every ear would hear it! but just as not every carnal ear, when it receives a word, accepts it into its thought: for this reason the Savior said: “Having ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15): speaking to those who have a carnal ear. Therefore let everyone hear Jesus and sin no more, but let us flow to Him who forgives sins. And if we suffer from illnesses, let us resort to Him. Are we sick at heart? Let's go to a knowledgeable Healer. Are we hungry? Let us have bread. Are we dead? Let us accept the resurrection. Have we grown old in ignorance? From Wisdom itself let us ask for wisdom. But we have spread ourselves very much in the word and, perhaps, have created an obstacle to the teaching of our Shepherd, but the time calls for listening to the most excellent word, so that, taking advantage of the most elegant instruction, we would send praise to God through our deeds: To whom be glory, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Gavvatha in Hebrew, Liphostroton in Greek, means a place covered with stones (John 19.13). You might be interested in: