Luke 5:19

You who judge, learn to excuse! You who are sick, learn to accomplish. If you do not trust in the forgiveness of grave sinners, call intercessors, call the church who will pray for you. Because of his regard for the church, the Lord forgives what he may refuse you. And although we must not neglect the faith in the narrative, so that we may indeed believe that the body of the paralytic was healed, we must also acknowledge the healing of the inner man whose sins are forgiven.

Now let every sick person have those that will pray for his salvation, by whom the loosened joints of our life and halting steps may be renewed by the remedy of the heavenly word. Let there be then certain monitors of the soul, to raise the mind of man, though grown dull through the weakness of the external body, to higher things, by the aid of which being able again easily to raise and humble itself, it may be placed before Jesus worthy to be presented in the Lord's sight. For the Lord beholdeth the humble.

But they are to be admired who brought in the paralytic, since on finding that they could not enter in at the door, they attempted a new and untried way. As it follows, And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, they went upon the housetop, &c. But unroofing the house they let down the couch, and place the paralytic in the midst, as it follows, And they let him down through the things. Some one may say, that the place was let down, from which they lowered the couch of the palsied man through the things.

(l. ii. qu. 4.) With respect to the sick of the palsy, we may understand that the soul relaxed in its limbs, i. e. its operations, seeks Christ, i. e. the meaning of God's word; but is hindered by the crowds, that is to say, unless it discovers the secrets of the thoughts, i. e. the dark parts of the Scriptures, and thereby arrives at the knowledge of Christ.

(ubi sup.) The men then by whom he is let down may signify the doctors of the Church. But that he is let down with the couch, signifies that Christ ought to be known by man, while yet abiding in his flesh.

And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof through the tiles. They desire to offer the paralytic to Christ but are excluded on all sides by the interposed crowd. Often, a soul, after the sloth of the lowly body, turns back to God and desires to be renewed by the remedy of heavenly grace but is delayed by the obstacle of old habit. Often, amidst the sweetness of secret prayer and a seemingly pleasant conversation with the Lord, a crowd of thoughts intervenes, blocking the gaze of the mind so that Christ is not seen. What should be done in such instances? Surely not remain in the lower parts where the crowds tumultuously gather, but ascend to the roof of the house where Christ teaches, that is, strive for the sublimity of Holy Scripture, and meditate on the law of the Lord with the Psalmist day and night. For how indeed does the young man correct his way? By keeping, he says, your words (Psalm 119).

And they let him down with the bed into the midst before Jesus. When the roof was opened, the sick man was let down before Jesus, because with the mysteries of the Scriptures revealed, one arrives at the knowledge of Christ, that is, one descends to His humility through the piety of faith. And well is the house of Jesus described as covered with tiles, because under the contemptible covering of letters, if there is one who uncovers this, the divine spiritual power of grace will be found. But the fact that he is let down with the bed signifies that Christ must be acknowledged by a man still established in this flesh.

And the house where Jesus was is well described as covered with tiles, since beneath the beggarly covering of letters is found the spiritual power of grace.

And because obstacles frequently arise for one who seeks through faith, therefore it is added: And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, which is wont to impede approach to Christ; as it is said in Matthew 20 and below in chapter 18, that "the crowds rebuked the blind man, that he should be silent"; so also Zacchaeus, below in chapter 19, "sought to see Jesus, and could not because of the crowd."

But certainly obstacles do not hold back true faith, but rather inflame it; in testimony of which it is added: They went up onto the roof and through the tiles let him down with his bed. So also Zacchaeus did, as is said below in the nineteenth chapter, that "he climbed up into a sycamore tree, so that he might see Jesus passing by," whom he could not see because of the crowd.

Such helpers that sick man needed, who said in John 5: "Lord, I have no man who, when the water is stirred, may put me into the pool." Such helpers are simple men, according to what is said in Acts 9: "The disciples, taking Paul by night, let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket." Such are spiritual men, who present the sick before the sight of the Lord through prayer: Lamentations 2: "Pour out your heart like water before the sight of the Lord your God. Lift up your hands for the souls of the little ones, who have fainted from hunger at the head of all the crossroads." And therefore they presented him to the sight of the Lord, so that he might see him, and to his presence, so that he might touch him. — And therefore it is added: Into the midst before Jesus, because the Savior always seeks the midst; whence John 1: "He stood in the midst of you"; and below in the twenty-second chapter: "But I am in the midst of you"; and therefore in the Psalm: "We have received your mercy in the midst of your temple."