The Bible

 

Mark 2:1-12 : Your Faith Has Healed You

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1 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.

2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.

3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.

4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.

5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 "Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts?

9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?'

10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic--

11 "I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house."

12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Commentary

 

The Requirement of Faith

By Todd Beiswenger


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Jesus performs a few healing miracles where he says that the person is healed by their faith. Can our faith heal us? While I'm sure some experience physical faith healings, this is also a picture of how we need to believe in God's teachings in order to heal our spiritual state. God's teachings are cures for our ills, but do we believe what the Doctor is prescribing?

(References: Apocalypse Explained 239; Arcana Coelestia 10023; Mark 2:1-12, 10:46-52)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Heaven and Hell #148

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148. In the heavens all dwell in separate groups in accordance with the quarters. Those who are in the good of love dwell towards the east and the west, those who are in clear perception of it towards the east, and those in obscure perception of it towards the west. Those who are in wisdom from the good of love dwell towards the north and south, those who are in the clear light of wisdom towards the south, and those in obscure light of it towards the north. The angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom and those of His celestial kingdom dwell in the same order, yet differently in so far as their good of love and light of truth from good differ. For, in the celestial kingdom the love is love to the Lord, and the light of truth therefrom is wisdom, while in the spiritual kingdom, the love is love towards the neighbour, which is called charity, and the light of truth therefrom is intelligence which is also called faith (see above 23). They differ also as to the quarters, for the quarters in the two kingdoms are apart from each other by thirty degrees, as has been said just above (146).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.