"Child, your sins are forgiven you... arise, take up thy bed, and go to thy house." (Mark 2:5-11.)

Both paralyzed and sinful is the person about whom the Gospel speaks today. This unfortunate man suffers doubly — by the weakness of the body and the sin of the soul. The first he approached death, and the second he approached torment. Both his life and salvation are in extreme danger.

A rumor spread that the Lord Jesus Christ in a certain Capernaum house was instructing an innumerable multitude of people with the word of truth. And so, carried by four, this unfortunate man appeared there and received from the heavenly Physician a double healing of a twofold ailment. For the soul is the forgiveness of sins: Child, thy sins are forgiven thee; for the body is the healing of weakness: Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thy house. I draw your attention, listeners, to two events in the current Gospel narrative – to the suffering of the sick man and the power of the Physician. A paralyzed man – what a terrible sight such a man presents!

It is the living image of a dead person, an unburied corpse, living remains that live inside, because they still have breath, and from the outside they are dead, because they have no movement, a disastrous combination of life and death! He has no hope for a doctor or medicine. He expects the healing of an incurable disease only from complete death. Is this not the most grievous suffering? And yet, at the very words of our Saviour: "Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house," the paralytic gathers his strength, and the lying man rises, to the great amazement of those around and who saw his face. "And he arose, and took up his bed, and went out before all; for thou didst marvel at all, and glorify God" (Mark 2:12). Is this not the easiest of all healing? A miracle that is visibly performed on the body is invisibly performed on the soul. Imagine, on the one hand, an unfortunate soul, kept in weakness from old habitual sin, motionless in virtue, insensitive to grace, a soul in danger of dying an eternal death. Imagine, on the other hand, the power that these words of the Savior have in the mouth of a spiritual father: Child, thy sins are forgiven thee, and with them the soul is resurrected, sanctified, and saved into eternal life. Look here, too, at the great ease of saving healing. The sinner is hourly threatened with eternal torment — this is the greatest suffering for the human soul. And with just one word it can be freed from this danger — this is the easiest healing by divine grace. These two questions, namely, the severity of illness – sin and the ease of healing – forgiveness – constitute the content of today's sermon. Listen to me carefully to benefit from it.

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I don't know if I can explain to you what sin is. Nothing is done so easily and understood as difficult as sin. That is why we sin easily and repent. From what has been said about sin by the Fathers of the Church and learned theologians, we can only conclude that it is an infinite evil, almost a reproach to God. But all these are words that are either inaccessible to human understanding, or do not affect the human soul. What can I say to make you understand what a boundless evil this is?

I'll start with this. Suppose that the water of this boundless sea is as sweet as the water of rivers and springs. But then a drop of water fell and in an instant made all the water of the sea, rivers and springs bitter. How bitter would this drop be?! And yet incomparably greater bitterness is found in sin, which in an instant grieves the inexhaustible sea of God's mercy. Sin is boundless bitterness. Further. Of all the visible miracles performed by Jesus Christ during His life on earth, only one of them was a clear proof of the divine power that He has as the Son of God. When he began to work miracles and changed water into wine in Cana of Galilee, when he blessed five loaves of bread and fed five thousand men in the wilderness; when he walked on the sea as a spirit; when he was transfigured on the summit of Tabor and shone like the sun; when he healed the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, paralyzed in the sheep's font, bleeding, crouched, sick with dropsy and withered hands; when He cleansed so many lepers, opened the eyes of so many blind men, freed so many demon-possessed; when He resurrected (which is even greater) the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow and Lazarus, He received the glory of a prophet, a miracle-worker, a saint, but only a man. "Those who saw His miracles, as the Gospel says, glorified God, who gave such power to man" (Matt. 2:8). And indeed, similar miracles were performed earlier by the prophets, and then by the apostles, i.e. all people. Do you know when exactly Jesus Christ revealed His Divine power, when He spoke and acted as the Son of God? When He said to the present paralytic with sovereign authority: "Child, thy sins are forgiven thee." The scribes sitting there considered Him to be a simple man; but when they heard that He spoke as God, they concluded that He was blasphemy: "Why does this man speak blasphemy? who can forgive sins, but God alone?" (Mark 2:7). In their error, they nevertheless spoke the truth, for no one but God can forgive sins. I am, He says through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, "I am the one who atones for iniquity" (43:25). "The human mind cannot imagine a beast more poisonous and terrible than that which John describes in his divine revelation: a beast with seven heads and ten horns is an image of iniquity, which has, as it were, seven heads, seven deadly sins, and as if with ten horns attacks and fights against the ten commandments of God. Who can defeat him? "Behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world" (John 1:29), only the Son of God, who has the power and authority of God. Infinite evil can be destroyed only by infinite force. Imagine to your mind's eye a scale, on one cup of which is sin, and on the other is all the holiness of the blessed spirits: seraphim, cherubim, angels, archangels, righteous men, prophets, apostles, teachers, martyrs, ascetics. I affirm that the combined holiness of heaven and earth cannot outweigh sin alone. For neither angels nor saints have their own power and strength to forgive a single sin on earth. God alone, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, can take away sin. This is an immeasurable weight; and if angelic and human power is insufficient, divine power is needed, for it alone is infinite. With all this I want to show you that sin is boundless poison, infinite evil and heaviness. According to theologians, this comes from three reasons. As a result of blasphemy against God – infinite, as a result of deprivations – endless, and as a result of the infinity of the torments themselves. And yet, when we sin, we think that we either do nothing special, or do evil, but very little. When we commit sin, it would be better for us if the sun disappeared from our eyes, the earth opened up beneath us, and swallowed us up. For by committing sin, we offend God the Creator and Saviour, we offend His righteousness by the audacious transgression of His commandments, we offend His goodness by infinite ingratitude for His blessings. We trample on His blood, irritate His justice, inflame His wrath, lose His grace, fall into His disgrace. Do you know what God's disfavor is? As Chrysostom says, "the alienation and disgust of God for the fallen is heavier than the torments expected there (beyond the grave)." is this not the worst of all evils into which a sinner can fall when he is hated by God and prematurely punished? Is there any cure for such evil? This is the power and authority of God. But give glory to the power of Divine mercy. God granted this authority in the person of the apostles to the priests of His Church; He gave them the unlimited right to absolve, to forgive all kinds of sin, when He said: "Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22); "Whatever you loose on earth, it will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18).

Think about this, holy priests, spiritual fathers; God and the priest forgive sins, but in different ways: God forgives in a sovereign way, by His own authority, and the priest by sharing in the authority which He has received from God. The doors of the Kingdom of Heaven are closed to the sinner and can be opened in two ways: directly, without a key, so God opens by His own power and might; and indirectly, with the help of the key which Christ gave to all the apostles in the person of Peter, "and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Thus do the priests open the keys of the authority they have received from Christ. Having discussed what a grave evil sin is, I ask you to think about what an easy healing forgiveness is.

Without a doubt, God could have established the forgiveness of sins in any way, even the most difficult one, as He pleased. He could, for example, say: "Man, you have sinned against Me, your God." If I act as a righteous Judge, then I must punish you according to the measure of your sins. You have fallen, and your fall is an endless offense to Me, so eternal punishment must befall you. For one sin I drove Lucifer out of heaven, and Adam out of Paradise. For so many sins which thou hast committed, I have rained fire from heaven and set fire to the pentapolis; I sent a flood of water, and covered the whole earth with it. And you deserve such a punishment. But I want to act like a loving Father, I don't want to punish you forever. But in order to receive forgiveness from Me, you must either mourn your whole life in asceticism, or go to torment for My name: wash away your sins either with tears or with blood. "Christians, even if God had ordained anything of this kind, we sinners would still have to thank Him a thousand times for it. True, podvig is difficult, martyrdom is difficult, but we should have done it with joy, in order to receive forgiveness. To suffer for a short time in exploits is still better than to be tormented forever in hell. To die once in martyrdom is better than to die eternally in agony.

This is how God acted in ancient times with His most beloved saints. David committed three great sins: he killed Uriah, committed fornication with his wife Bathsheba, and, contrary to the Divine prohibition, numbered the people. He repented, but before receiving forgiveness, he drank the bitter cup. First, God struck the child born of his sin with death. Secondly, he sent the prophet Gad to offer him to choose one of the three severe punishments at will: either a three-year famine, or a three-month internecine strife, or a three-day plague throughout the kingdom. Good David was amazed and said: "I am strait on every side" (2 Samuel 24:14). What could he do? He chose a three-day plague throughout the kingdom. And behold, seventy thousand men died, smitten by the angel of the Lord. With such great punishment and torment, he atoned for his sin and received forgiveness from God. Now God does not do this to us, even though we sin more than David. But God, although He does not compel us to asceticism and martyrdom, could nevertheless show us a more moderate path – to achieve the forgiveness of sins in the same way as He healed the sick in the sheep's font in Jerusalem. Namely: to point out one place in the whole world – Jerusalem; so that at a certain time once a year an angel from heaven would come down there and listen to our sins. Great is the work to make such a long journey, great patience to wait for a whole year; It is a great shame to confess to an angel. Nevertheless, we should be content to be forgiven and not to be subjected to eternal torment. But – oh, the ineffable mercy of God! He didn't even define it. For the destruction of infinite evil, for the removal of infinite heaviness, He showed the easiest and shortest path. What? I will tell you about this now. When our Lord was passing between Galilee and Samaria, ten lepers met Him and besought Him with a loud voice: "Jesus, Teacher, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). Go, He said to them, show your leprosy to the priests, and cleanse yourselves — "go and show yourselves to be a priest" (Luke 17:14). They went, showed themselves and cleansed themselves. Is there an ailment more disgusting, severe, and incurable? Is there an easier healing than that which Christ revealed, revealed, so that we, sinners, might be cleansed? Go, He says to us, show yourselves as a priest. Sinners, sick with the gravest spiritual illness, do you want forgiveness and healing? Do not go to feats and torments – no, this is too much. Don't go to Jerusalem – it's too far away, you don't need such work. Go whenever you want and as many times as you like, not to angels, but to priests, people like you. Reveal to them only your sufferings, tell them your sins. They have all the power of forgiveness, all the power of healing. What they will allow and forgive here on earth will be allowed and forgiven in heaven. "Go and show yourselves as a priest." We, Christians, go, open our wounds, speak our sins, and – lo and behold! At the very time when the spiritual father opens his mouth and says here on earth: "Child, thy sins are forgiven thee," the Heavenly Father says the same grief. I forgive thee, says the priest here; I forgive thee, saith the Son and the Word. Here the priest pronounces the decision on forgiveness, and there it is immediately confirmed by the Holy Spirit. By the power of those almighty words, boundless evil has been destroyed, the infinite burden has fallen, the terrible poisonous wound has been healed, sin has been resolved; We, the paralytics, have risen, lepers, have been cleansed, dead, resurrected, completely transformed. From angels of darkness they became angels of light. Enemies of God, we have become His friends. We returned to His embrace, gained His grace, and again attracted His love. In a word, sinners, worthy of eternal torment, instantly became righteous, worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom. "Oh, great love for mankind, oh, immeasurable love," exclaims the golden-tongued teacher, "God declares the sinner to be completely justified after he has confessed his sins and shown a firm determination for the future." Is there evil greater than sin? Is there any healing easier than the forgiveness of sins?

Sinful souls, examine your conscience now, as I do, and consider what evil you have committed before your neighbor and before God. You have allowed yourselves the greatest injustice, the most horrible iniquity, the most heinous sin that is possible for man. And so, are you terrified, afraid, despairing? Not at all! "It seems to me as if I see the myrrh-bearing women who bought perfumes and went to anoint the body of the buried Jesus at dawn. They walked, but they walked slowly and full of bewilderment. We know, they said, that on the grave of Jesus lies a heavy stone. We are women, weak; Who will give it to us? — "Who shall roll away for us a stone from the door of the tomb" (Mark 16:3). O be of good cheer, be of good cheer, pious women, hasten on your way, do your work: before you get there, the stone has already been rolled away and moved. The coffin is opened. And indeed, "when I beheld, I saw that the stone was rolled away" (Mark 16:4). Who moved him, for he was so great? (Ibid.) An angel sent by God from heaven for this purpose. God sent an angel, and he rolled away the stone from the tomb, for God saw the good will of women. If a person has a good will, God makes everything easier. Let there be stones and difficulties in the way, God will remove all obstacles. Perhaps the same thing will be said by a sinful soul who wants to go to a spiritual father, but is perplexed and afraid? Woe is me, my sin is a heavy stone. "For my iniquities have surpassed my head, as a heavy burden hath weighed upon me" (Psalm 37:5). Where should I go? Who can forgive me and lift my burden? Who will roll away the stone for us? I have lived so many years, I have grown old in sin, I have squandered my health, I have ruined my life with a lewd harlot. Long habit became a natural inclination, and inclination became a heavy stone on the heart. Who will roll away the stone for me? I have committed so many injustices, murders, robberies. The love of money is a heavy stone on my conscience. Who will roll away the stone for me? I have not left a single sin in order not to commit it, and I have never repented. The persistence in evil that I found made my soul hard as a stone. Who will roll away the stone for me? Alas for me! My sins are a heavy stone; I am faint in evil, and I have no strength left. So, who will roll away the stone for me?

Oh, be bold, sinner, follow your own path, walk boldly and steadfastly. "Only enter," the divine Chrysostom convinces you, "on this path, and you will move forward faster." Don't waste time; Let nothing hold you back. God, seeing your will, will remove the burden from you. Have you been left by natural forces? There is the power of Divine grace that helps you. And I assure you in the name of Jesus crucified that the stone of your sins has fallen, moved, taken down, the stone has been rolled away. Who took it off? "Behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world" (John 1:29) – the Son of God, who took up the sins of the whole world on the cross, took away your sins as well. Say only one word: I have sinned; and the confessor will say to you only one thing: Child, your sins are forgiven you. And you got relief, forgiveness. You are justified, you are no longer a sinner. "Just step on this path, and you will quickly move forward." But I see you can't walk, you're limping. Listen to what I say to you. At the command of King Ahab, all the cold prophets gathered to Mount Carmel, and Elijah addressed them with these words: "How long will you temple on both your molds?" (1 Kings 18:21) – how long will you limp on both legs, one bowing down before God, and the other before the idol of Baal? If the Lord God exists, follow Him; but if there be Baal, then follow him (Ibid.) — if the Lord of heaven and earth is the true God, worship Him as God. But if the idol of Baal is a god, worship him. But how long will you go to the temple on both of your molds? Unrepentant sinners, I tell you, take the good path, go quickly, turn to your spiritual father and ask for forgiveness, and you continue to limp on both legs? "You bow down one before God, and the other before an idol; one before God, the other before the harlot? One before God, the other before wealth? One before God, and the other before the world? How long then will you have a temple on both of your molds? If a harlot, wealth, the world can save you, well, worship them as a god. But if no one but God can save you, for God alone can forgive your sins, and, as you have heard, forgive so easily, why does the harlot restrain you? Why does wealth hinder? Why does the world oppose? Why don't you turn to God once and for all?

O my God, my Deliverer! In Thy crucifixion and death for me, a sinner, I see the greatest sign of Thy love. But now I realize that besides this, Thy love bestows upon me another great mercy. I sin, and my sin is an endless offense to Thee, but to me it is the cause of eternal torment. And from such a grievous evil you have granted me such an easy cure! If I am guilty before an earthly ruler, a person like me, I do not receive forgiveness at all, or I buy him at the cost of my blood. But I have sinned before Thee, my God, Creator and Redeemer, and Thou hast demanded of me one word of sinners in satisfaction for this, and for this Thou hast forgiven me: Child, thy sins are forgiven thee. What do you call such a great love? I don't know that. I only know that I should never sin again, or, having sinned, I should repent immediately.