And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
We too are paralyzed, at least in some measure. We have hearts that do not love as readily or strongly as they ought. We face situations where temptations come at us like strong stormy winds and rather than stand strong we collapse. We have numerous opportunities to stand up for others, to use our gifts to assist them and make their lives better. But we feel too weak and incapable. Paralysis, is, perhaps, what happens when comfort becomes too central a focus for too long. Once we did have strength, but now we can't seem to rise from our couches.
When Jesus saw their faith
It was important for the paralytic that he had friends who were willing to bring him to Jesus. He could not come to Jesus under his own power. He might have even made excuses for why it was better for him to stay as he was. Perhaps he was not deserving of help, or publicly exposing his condition was embarrassing, or it was not worth wasting the time of Jesus, or some other reason. But his friends cared about him too much for any potential excuses he might have made, cared enough about him to use their own time and strength to help.
he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
His friends helped to bring him up to the doorway to faith. They brought him to this place he could not and probably would not have come on his own. He was exposed and vulnerable before Jesus because his friends loved him enough to get him there. Then Jesus did what only he could do. He saw into the problem more deeply than the superficial manifestation of physical symptoms. He targeted the heart and restored it, for without that a healthy body wouldn't matter much.
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
The order of healing is the same for us. Baptism and Confession cleanse our souls of sin. But our bodies too will rise on the last day. We will rise and go to the only place that is truly home, a place we have never been but have somehow always known.
“This man is blaspheming.”
The scribes correctly inferred that Jesus was taking upon himself a divine prerogative. He was making a claim that would not make sense if he was anything less than God. Mere humans were not involved in the sins of this man and had nothing to say one way or the other about forgiving them. They were a debt against God that only God could release. And he had. And he proved it. But rather than rejoice, the scribes were jealous and angry. The crowds, who weren't so rigid in their views chose a better response.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
This authority was not given only to Jesus, the Son of Man, but to the men he would consecrate as his priests, with whom he would share this authority to forgive sins (see John 20:23). This same power is available to us in confessionals of churches throughout the world. May we be so fortunate as to have friends who keep us accountable, who lift us up in prayer, so that complacency never keeps us from the healing that is available and the freedom it can bring.
I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Receiving forgiveness is one option. Hardening our hearts is unfortunately also a possibility. Let us listen to the prophetic voices calling us back to full fellowship with the Lord. Let us be especially careful not to silence any such voices in our lives. These are friends that are trying to help, prophets who are not prophesying for the sake of the retirement plan, but for us. They demonstrate love for us when we need it most. May the Lord bless them and make them effective.
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