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And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
- Mark 2:1-12
In Saturday's reading, we read that Jesus cast an unclean spirit out of a man when He was teaching in the synagogue. Yesterday, we were told that as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. My study bible tells us that "Jesus preached (a vital part of His ministry) wherever there were people -- in the synagogue [as in Saturday's reading], on the mountain, on the plain, and here in a house." In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus had to preach in the deserted places, where people came to Him from every direction. But here in today's reading, it's striking once again the transfiguration of daily life that Jesus' presence is having on others. This is Peter's family house in Capernaum, a headquarters for His ministry in Galilee. The whole of family life and all relations with the external community are changed by His presence.
Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts . . . Again we see the extent to which the home life is transformed because Jesus is there. The house has become a kind of a synagogue, and even a hospital, where everyone is coming for what Jesus offers. We also see the presence of the scribes. My study bible says that "the heart in Scripture usually refers to the center of consciousness, including the will and reason." Of the entire passage it notes that this is usually read in the Eastern Church in the second Sunday of Lent. There's a threefold symbolism here of our preparation for Easter: "(1) We must come to Christ in faith and let Him heal us of our spiritual paralysis. Sin is a paralysis of the soul. (2) We should let nothing deter us from getting to Christ, who alone can heal us, both in body and in soul. (3) We must help each other come to Christ."
. . . "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." My study bible points out that what the scribes wonder about is, in effect, a revelation of the truth about Jesus: it is God who has the power to forgive sins. It also notes of this healing and Jesus' question about what is easier, "The point is not that either one is easier, but that One who can say, Arise, take up your bed and walk is also able to forgive sins." Again, here, we get just a hint of the transformation of daily life by Christ's presence. The young man is told to "arise," to take up his bed and go to his house. He goes home healed and whole. This same word, "arise" is that which we noted in yesterday's reading, in which Peter's mother-in-law was healed. There it was translated that she was "lifted up" by Jesus, but it's the same word for "arise" here -- and one of its implications is awakening. Both are awakened from affliction, with the spiritual sense of this word implying a spiritual awakening -- an awareness with which the former paralytic returns home.
Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" The power of transformation for the paralytic also affects the community around him. Again, "the people" act as a sort of chorus, telling us about the response of the crowds to this ministry, a kind of echo of what the people think.
Transfiguration is an important understanding of Jesus' ministry. The Transfiguration experience of the disciples (Peter, James and John, those who form Jesus' inner circle) stands as a centerpiece to the Gospels, a turning point after which Jesus sets His sight for Jerusalem and what is to come there. In these early readings in Mark, we get hints of the transfiguring effect Jesus' presence has on the community, on the inner circle, on relationships, in the home, in Peter's house. It sets things at new angles, relationships in new counterpoint, and His presence gives everything a particular ordered perspective with a goal of ministry. Here the paralytic is brought by his friends for healing to Peter's home. It is so crowded they must take apart a piece of the roof to lower the paralytic in. But the same thing that happened with Peter's mother-in-law happens here, the paralytic arises from his bed as if awakened from a sleep, and he, too, becomes a part of ministry, returning home not just for family and friends, but for a whole community to say, "We never saw anything like this!" Ministry, the Gospel seems to tell us, is for every day life; it's not just about these stupendous events, but rather for the transfiguration of our lives, for the purposes of our lives, and in effect for all of our relationships. Christ's presence in our midst may not have the spectacular effects that we read about in the Gospels, but in effect we may feel those spectacular effects within ourselves. We will feel His presence transforming our relationships as well, changing the way that we relate to the world, in our families and our homes, with our friends. The "spectacular" can be a purely subjective experience, so can the miraculous. As our goals shift and change, as our notions of what is important and what is not shift and build in new directions, as our values have a distinctive cast to them that grows and builds, experience teaches us what faith does. We may find ourselves objecting to behavior that is not honest and fair in ways we didn't dare do before. We may find ourselves with the peace of mind to accept the things we cannot change -- including the courage to move on when we need to. Faith can have a tremendous effect that no one notices much except those closest to us, but its experience is something powerful in ourselves. As we go with Jesus in His ministry in Mark's Gospel, let's remember that each of us is called upon to be transfigured in our own way, as we move forward in the experience of faith. This can take on many, many different shifts and perspectives and growth as we seek to heal in our lives through faith. But it's the love of Christ that's central to that experience, the faith that is a gift and which we share with others -- deliberately or simply by virtue of our proximity. Love wishes the best for each of us. But it takes a relationship to the truly good to understand what "best" may look like, and this relationship will never stop taking us toward that goal, if we're willing to be "transformed" in His light. Maturity in this sense, and spiritual awakening out of paralysis, is a constant goal, a daily journey, of our day-to-day lives.
