Jan 13, 2005

Mk 2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,“Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,‘Your sins are forgiven,’or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”–he said to the paralytic,“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Another healing story in the ministry of Jesus. The four who brought the paralytic to Jesus were undaunted by the crowds. When the door was blocked, they lowered him throught the roof without hesitation. Jesus saw the faith of not only the paralytic but those who had brought him and lowered him into the room. He saw that THEIR faith was great.

At first Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic. The scribes, not those who brought the paralytic are not satisfied with this. Jesus asks them which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or rise up but in order to show the authority of the Son of Man on earth, he tells the paralytic to rise up and then they are astounded and glorify God. Jesus teaches that the Son of Man is the one with authority to forgive sins on Earth. The forgiving of sins and that healing is not as visible to the sceptics as the healing of the paralysis of the body.

Sins can cause forms of paralysis in the soul. Blocks from feelings and actions that are freeing and healing and loving. My simplistic definition of sins are that they are steps away from God and self and the healing of them restores love and joy in life. I remember that when I was in about the second grade one of my friends explained sins as being like black dots on the soul that God could see. I never did get a clear understanding of what she was trying to explain to me from her catechism class except that when you think God is not watching God is really there all the time and can see who we really are. Reconciliation is for me a returning home to the arms of God.

As a mature adult I can definitely see that the sins of my life are more complex and deep and more difficult to heal than any simple affliction of the body. As a child I did not really understand this. Belief in healing from Jesus is again a real key to healing. I pray today for healing in body mind and soul from Jesus and the spirit to carry the faith to others in all my acts of this day.