Q&A Home > H > Healing the Paralyzed Man

When Christ healed the sick man by the pool, He told him: "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14). Some believe that the main reason of this man's sickness was his sin. Others favor the idea that he was lame from birth, probably some form of cerebral palsy; in order for Jesus' glory to be manifested through him by the pool. What is Your Grace's opinion?

The Holy Bible does not tell us that this man was paralyzed from birth. The expression "Sin no more" entails that the man's infirmity was caused by sin; perhaps some vice he had indulged in his youth. His crime or sin had brought on him this long and distressing affliction. Our Lord Jesus showed him that He knew the cause of his sickness, and picked up the chance  to warn him not to fall into other ones.

Christ, by His foreknowledge, knew that this man would commit an even worse crime; for tradition has it that at the time of our Lady, St. Mary's dormition, the Jews were afraid that the Apostles might hide her body claiming that she ascended as our Lord Jesus Christ did. So they hired this particular man to steel her body. As soon as he touched the body to steal it, his arms got stuck to St. Mary's body becoming detached from his. Seeing what had happened, he repented; the disciples, witnessing this, they prayed for him and his arms were restored to his body.

This miracle is different from that of the born blind (John 9:1-39) where it is clear that the man's blindness was not a result of his or his parents' sins but to show the glory of God "Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him" (John 9:3).