When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you"

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that as soon as Jesus and the disciples 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 town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the 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.  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!"  My study Bible asks us to note that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, to free humanity from the bondage of sin.  To forgive sins is a greater power than physical healing, for, as the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  So, therefore, the easier task is to grant physical healing.  Although Christ being fully God holds the authority to forgive, He condescends to the people gathered by healing this man so that He draws people to God, whom they then glorified.  

 

 There is another note in my study Bible on this healing of the paralytic, and that focuses on faith.  It says that this healing shows that faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  Faith, it notes, is collective as well as personal -- as is shown in today's reading.  For the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in this healing.  Moreover, in addition to the power to forgive sins we may also observe other signs of Jesus' divinity here.  First, Jesus knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30), and He heals by the power of His word, through a command ("I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house").  Today's reading asks us to ponder not just the power of faith, but perhaps what faith is, exactly.  Many people think faith simply means to believe in something.  Often I find people seem to understand faith as just the capacity for believing something is true, or being convinced of something. But in context with today's reading, and the relationship with God that faith implies so powerfully here, it seems we need to change that concept of faith.  It isn't simply believing in something.  Faith is entrusting oneself, which means to pursue and to follow the path that sets forth.  The paralytic's friends may believe, or possibly they hope, that Christ can heal their friend.  After all, by now His fame as a healer has spread, and so many people come to see Him in hopes of such help.  But what really happens here is all that extra effort the paralytic's friends make to pursue Jesus, to go where He is, and to bring their friend to Him.  This isn't just an analytical conviction about something or someone.  This is putting heart and soul into pursuing God, pursuing Christ.  They go the extra mile and make the extra effort, they use a creative strategy to overcome obstacles, and they come down even through the roof if that's the only way they can come to Christ.  And that is the real and true example of what faith is in this story.  Let us note that the text says it was when Jesus saw their faith that He pronounced the paralytic's sins forgiven.  Faith is the pursuit of God, of Christ, of going that extra effort, even thinking outside of the box, outside of conventions that make an obstacle, to come to Him, to meet Him where we need to.  That is a lifelong pursuit and a lifelong practice a lifelong journey.  For He is the path -- the "way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  Keep in mind that the word translated as "way" means "road" in modern Greek.  He is that very road, and faith is finding Him where He is, not where we want to meet Him.  And we are to meet Him where He leads us, for He is that very road, or path, of faith.  Faith is not about believing something hard enough so that it comes true, and neither is prayer, for that matter.  In prayer we seek Him, and we seek His path for us -- not the other way around.  Let your faith live in this pursuit and finding Him where He is, for that is where our salvation lies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you want to be made well?

 

 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.  

The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

- John 5:1-18 

 

 Now after two days following Christ's reception of the townspeople in Samaria, He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."   So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.  

 

  After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.   So far in John's Gospel, Jesus has attended one festival, and that was the Passover (see this reading).  According to patristic teaching, this feast is the Old Testament Pentecost, which is also called the Feast of Weeks.  It celebrates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.  The references to the Law of Moses later in this chapter, my study Bible comments, confirm this interpretation.  

 

 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  This double-basin pool, my study Bible explains, was believed to have curative powers.  It has been discovered about 100 yards north of the temple area, near the Sheep Gate.   The water for this high-ground pool flowed from underground springs.  It was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain.  My study Bible comments that this pool functions as a type of Christian baptism.  Under the old covenant, a great multitude waited to enter the water for physical healing after an angel touched it [stirred up the water].  These waters were special in that they were a way of participating indirectly in the animal sacrifices of the temple, as the animals were washed in the same water.  But, my study Bible notes, the grace was limited to the first person to enter.  But under the new covenant, baptism is given to all nations as a direct participation in Christ's own sacrificial death (Romans 6:3-6), without the mediation of angels.  Baptism thus grants healing of the soul and the promise of eternal resurrection of the body -- and its grace is inexhaustible.

 

 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that Jesus singled out this man who had waited for thirty-eight years in order to teach us to have perseverance; it's also a judgment against those who lose hope or patience in far lesser troubles lasting a far shorter time.  

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.   My study Bible comments that Christ's question to this man is relevant for several reasons.  First, it makes public the fact that the sick man kept his faith even in a situation that was seemingly hopeless -- for how could a paralytic ever be first into the water?  Second, Christ draws attention away from the water and focuses it toward the need we have for a man to help us.  He is that Man; and fulfills this human need, as He became Man to heal all.  Finally, not everyone who is ill actually desires healing.  My study Bible notes that sadly, there are some who may prefer to remain infirm in order to have license to complain, to avoid responsibility for their lives, or to continue to provoke the pity of others.  

The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.     John, the author of the Gospel was himself a Jew, as were all of Christ's disciples and Jesus as well.  My study Bible comments on this passage that although the Law itself does not specifically forbid the carrying of burdens on the Sabbath, this is prohibited in Jeremiah 17:21-22, and it is explicitly forbidden in rabbinical teachings.  That Christ is Lord over the Sabbath is made clear by is command ("Take up your bed and walk") and also by the man's obedience as he immediately did so (see also Matthew 12:1-8).  We should note once again that the term the Jews is most often used in John's Gospel to designate the religious leaders in the temple, and not the people.  My study Bible asks us to notice the malice of these leaders.  They focus only on the violation of the Sabbath, asking the man, "Who is the Man who said to you, Take up your bed'?"  -- at the same time, they completely ignore the miraculous healing.  

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  My study Bible remarks upon the fact that this man was found in the temple.  It shows his great faith, it notes, because this man had gone there directly to thank God for his cure, rather than departing to someone's home or to the marketplace.  Jesus tells the man to "sin no more."  My study Bible comments upon this that while there is a general connection between sin and suffering (Romans 6:23), the connection is not always one-to-one.  The innocent frequently suffer, and often the guilty are spared earthly sufferings (see also John 9:1-3).  Nonetheless, sometimes our sins lead directly to our own suffering in this world.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the latter was the case with this paralytic.  But Christ's warning is that the sins that destroy the soul lead to a far worse result than an affliction of the body, my study Bible says.  The only hope is to flee from sin altogether.  

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.    This man does not report Jesus to the leaders of the Jews in a malicious way, my study Bible comments, but rather he is a witness to Christ's goodness.  Even though the religious leaders were only interested in the violation of the Sabbath, this healed man give emphasis to the fact that it was Jesus who had made him well, and says nothing to them about carrying his bed. 

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.  Jesus declares God to be My Father, and these religious leaders clearly understand the implication of absolute equality.  As our readings continue, Jesus will give a discourse in the following verses regarding this relationship of Father and Son.  But let us note for now the emphasis on working, and Christ's particular mission in working the work of the Father as well.  

Today's reading gives us the third sign of seven in John's Gospel.  My study Bible states that it exemplifies the divine power to restore a person to wholeness.  It is interesting to consider this in light of Christ's attitude toward healing which is expressed in today's reading.  Let us note that it gives us pause to think about what wholeness means exactly.  In a modern context we often think of healing in purely material terms.  When we come down with a certain malady, we take the prescribed medicine for it and expect to be cured.  But the truth is that even modern science must recognize there is more to healing than simply physical ailments healed by material medicine.  The level of stress a person is under, for example, is widely understood to influence all kinds of physical ailments, their degree of intensity, and our ability to heal.  This emotional core as one pillar of well-being certainly affects everything else.  Add to that the spiritual element of healing and we start to take in a recipe for wholeness, for surely spiritual well-being is part of the key to emotional health as well.  We cannot really separate any of these components one from the other, when it comes to the wholeness and health of a human being.  Environment plays a role too, as beauty and our capacity to enjoy it certainly plays a role in overall health and healing, and so does our attitude, particularly one that encompasses an active power of gratitude deliberately sought and cultivated.  There are endless ways in which these components of health can influence and be augmented in order to help healing within another dimension of our whole being:  we're not divided into separate pieces, but rather each has some influence upon the other.  But Jesus today ties in healing with the spiritual state of the soul, and in particular our relationship to or participation in sin.  It makes sense if we think of our participation in the life of Christ as participation in God's energies, which is another term for grace.  At the same time, we might consider what kind of energies we participate in when we engage in sinful behavior that cultivates bad habits, addictions, practices that are harmful, isolating, self-destructive, or socially harmful.  This subject is tied to today's reading, for Jesus suggests that this healed paralytic's future well-being is dependent upon his attitude toward sin and his own participation in it.  In many ways, sin is likened in theological or spiritual terms to paralysis.  We're said to be "stuck" in our spiritual path when sin becomes a habit we can't break, similar to addiction.  It becomes an inhibition to spiritual growth and maturity; we cannot progress in terms of our participation in the life Christ desires for us.  Without our own repentance of some kind and on some level, we don't go forward into the well-being Christ has for us, and the next step we might move onto in the journey of our faith.  In this sense of journey, sin sets us back.  An indulgence in a bad habit, such as gossip, can inhibit a better life, a better outlook, progress in terms of spiritual well-being.  Self-destruction is a long, long road with a lot of detours and possible outcomes, none of them taking us to real wholeness, and each a part of that "wide way" Christ warns about in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:13-14.  Let's note that part of the positive signs of healing of this man in today's reading is his practice of gratitude, that he was found in the temple to thank God for his healing.  It is in this context that Jesus also warns him not to go backward or invite trouble back into his life, by telling him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  Perhaps we should also take into account the notion that by forgetting about God, by indulging again in some sin in that forgetfulness, he will in fact be practicing ingratitude, and losing his spiritual ground he's gained.  If it's true that we reap what we sow, perhaps we all might consider what we sow and how we sow, and what outcomes we want in this spiritual sense that does indeed touch upon all other things in our lives.  Consider also how common it is that we encounter those who face their own ailments with faith and the practice of that faith.  It's not so much about a physical outcome as it is about our spiritual place in which we find ourselves.  Illness can also be a metaphor for spiritual struggle, and a very real place to struggle for faith regardless of material outcome.  If we in the Church recognize the martyrs of periods of persecution for our faith, perhaps we should come to terms also with modern martyrdoms in the often heroic struggle for faith midst the difficulties of illness and suffering of a physical sort.  Spiritual struggle around illness, and even death, in my experience, is a very real and powerful thing.  There is no time in which we forget about God, and how we are to go through the moments of our lives, and the best choices we can make for spiritual well-being through it all -- and even how such choices affect others.  Let us strengthen our spiritual lives at all times, and help others who may be struggling to do so as well.  Perhaps our most important choice is to continue the spiritual struggle midst the setbacks, hurts, and difficulties of life in an imperfect world -- and maybe this is the real crux of our faith.  In this context, the question, "Do you want to be made well?" takes on all kinds of meanings and possible responses.  Let us consider all the ways it might be answered, at all times. 

 

 

 

 

 

Who can forgive sins but God alone?

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue where Jesus had been preaching (and cast out a demon), 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 arisen 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.  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!"  My study Bible emphasizes in ts comments that, as shown by this healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  Faith, we understand, is collective as well as personal, because the faith of the friends of the paralytic (the four men who carried him) helped in his healing.  It notes three signs of Christ's divinity on display.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30).  Second, He forgives sins, which is a power belonging to God only.  And finally, He heals by the power of His word.  My study Bible further elaborates on the fact that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, which frees humanity from its bondage.  It notes that to forgive sins is a greater power than physical healing.  As the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  So, therefore, it is the easier task to grant physical healing.  Although Christ is fully God and He holds the authority to forgive, to heal this man is to condescend to those gathered in order to draw people to God, whom they then glorified.

In a worldly perspective, we would see the healing of this paralytic as truly a more extraordinary power than forgiving sins.  But from a perspective that includes some sense of the reality of God, the forgiveness of sins is more extraordinary, as noted by my study Bible (see commentary above).  Perhaps in our modern world, we take forgiveness for granted, as in what is now frequently called a "post-Christian" culture, we are inculcated into a sense in which for centuries we have prayed the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father, which was given to us by Jesus, and in and through which we are taught to forgive as we are forgiven.  Forgiveness can be a tricky problem, as we don't necessarily think of it in the correct paradigm of understanding God's forgiveness as first and primary, and our own as something which is secondary to God's.  Christ teaches, in giving that prayer, that we can't ourselves realize God's forgiveness without being forgiving ourselves.  But the primary judge, our Lord, is the One who is the true arbiter of such forgiveness, as He shows in today's reading.  Once again, we may turn to the paradigm and culture of the ancient Jews which existed at the time of Christ, the context in which this event took place, and within which Christ so stuns the scribes in today's reading.  As discussed in yesterday's commentary, the system of sacrifices and institutions of the temple were a process whereby the people not only could understand what sin was, but in and through which they were reconciled to God.  Christ's remarkable forgiveness then, comes as a shock indeed to the scribes, for how could a man forgive sins?  Or, as they ask here, significantly, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Indeed, and therein is the riddle that poses the question of just who Christ is.  Who is this Son of Man, as He refers to Himself?  And we know the answer, that Christ is both fully human and fully God.  It's within this understanding that the greater power is to forgive sins, but to express also the truth of the Son of Man, a miraculous healing is also given, expressing concretely the identity of the One who is present to them in a "worldly" sense that can be perceived and understood.  But if we don't have the mind and the understanding of the truth of the spiritual reality behind Christ and within which our world is created and known by God, then we moderns fail to understand the real impact of sin and its detriments to us.  Is it possible that this paralytic suffers from something sinful that has affected his condition?  This is possible, but one thing is clear:  although he suffers physically, he is still in need of forgiveness for his sins, and this is the great grace of God, and our Lord Christ, in response to the faith of his friends who help to carry him.  In the same way, we can pray for our friends and help to "carry" them to Christ.  Moreover, it's helpful to understand that in the tradition of the Church, paralysis is often seen as a metaphor for the condition of being "stuck" in a sin, unable to repent -- or to change -- that is, to get past it, to grow.  For sin is like paralysis, like slavery, as my study Bible describes it.  We are stuck in a repeated pattern, perhaps even despite our best efforts, and we need help to break it.  For that also, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a gift of Christ and His Incarnation into the world, so that we have a Helper.  We might, today, take for granted this possibility of forgiveness, but for those who have experienced the freedom of God's forgiveness, the effect upon the soul and upon our lives is boundless, for we are set free to live differently, to establish something good in our lives, to live as we are taught to live in Christ's light.  Let us consider the power of God to forgive, for it is also the power to liberate us, to set us free from our paralysis within something detrimental to ourselves and our mental, physical, and spiritual health.  Let us also glorify God in return.

Arise, take up your bed and go to your house

 

 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  for which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

 

- Matthew 9:1-8 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples had come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (after crossing through a frightening storm), to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.   

 

  So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Jesus is returning from the encounter with the demon-possessed men, and so has crossed back over the Sea of Galilee.  Christ's own city is Capernaum.

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  for which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  My study Bible comments on this reading that, as shown by the healing of the paralytic, faith is indispensable as a condition for salvation.  It notes also here that faith is collective as well as personal, because the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in his healing.  There are three signs of Christ's divinity on display in this passage.  First, that He knows the secrets of hearts (He is the "heart-knower" -- see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30).  Second, Jesus forgives sins here, and this is a power which belongs only to God.  Finally, Jesus heals with the power of His word.

What are we to make of the helpful faith of this paralytic man's friends?  We don't always have friends around to help us or to pray for us when we need it, but this fact of a cooperative, or collective faith remains a great gift to us, and a revelation as well.  For, in the communion of saints we also believe there is a kind of web of prayer.  This place of communion of the faithful, which transcends time and place, is put into words by St. Paul as "the great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).  In the Body of Christ in this sense, we are not alone, but we are connected to the faithful who have come before us.  This is particularly true of the martyrs and confessors for our faith, those who have sacrificed for the love of God and lived their faith in this sense.  In the ancient tradition of the Church, we may pray with such saints and witnesses.  It is for this purpose that we have iconography.  In the Eastern traditions, it remains a vital part of Orthodoxy, and icons are stylized in particular ways to make it clear that we enter a particular dimension of communion when we interact through prayer or ask for prayers and help.  They are not literal renderings merely for memory's sake or for teaching alone, but rather invite communion and participation in that place where "all live to Him" (Luke 20:38).   Christ on the Cross spoke of His own seeming abandonment in a worldly sense, and the communion in prayer which sustained Him, when He spoke to the disciples at the Last Supper:  "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me" (John 16:32).  He sets the example for all of us, that we may be sustained in prayer, and the testimony for such effective communion and prayer is on display in today's reading.  We should never forget that we are sustained not simply of ourselves alone, and, like Christ, we have others with us even when we are seemingly alone.  We have the Helper, the Holy Spirit, and Christ, and the Father (for where one of the Trinity is, all are present) -- and we have the entire communion of saints, which includes angelic help.  Tremendous help and testimony has been made throughout the centuries by such prayer.  Let us have the faith and trust Christ asks of us. 

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?"

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that as soon as Jesus and the others 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 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 the 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.  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."   My study Bible comments that what we can observe here is that faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  This scene teaches us that faith is collective as well as personal, as the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in his healing. 

 

 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!"  One of the purposes of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, my study Bible notes, thus freeing humanity from its bondage.  It notes that to forgive sins is a greater power than physical healing.  As the scribes correctly note here, God alone can forgive sins.  Therefore the easier task is to grant physical healing.  Although Christ is fully God an holds the authority to forgive, He condescends to those who are gathered in this crowded house and heals the man in order to draw people to God, whom they all glorified God.   Additionally my study Bible also comments on three signs of Jesus' divinity shown here.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30).  Second, He forgive sins, which is a power that belongs to God alone.  And finally, He heals here by the power of His word.

 

 One of the notable comments on today's reading in my study Bible mentions a sign that Christ is divine, in the fact that He knows what is in people's hearts.  It cites 1 Samuel 16:7 as a Scriptural reference to this, which describes the time when the Prophet Samuel went to anoint a new king, guided by God's instructions.  The verse reads, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"  Jesus knows what is in the hearts of the scribes, for the text tells us that He perceived it in His spirit.  Of course, as Christ is the Lord, there are none who can claim an equal capacity for perception of the heart.  But this attribute of knowing in His spirit on the part of Christ is one that sometimes attributed to saints, and this is particularly so in Orthodox tradition.   It is a gift of grace, a gift of the Spirit, shared as other spiritual graces are shared -- but of course, not to the extent of Christ's understanding.  And yet, we can observe in some traditions this "knowing" on the part of older and experienced saints in particular, often those who are called "elders" and to whom many are drawn for help and advice.  Especially within the monastic tradition, the ascetics of this type of life are designed to reveal the truth of one's own heart.  This means, in particular to find the places where we are spiritually vulnerable, given more or less easily to temptation.  Fasting practices teach one about vulnerability to various desires.  This does not simply apply to food, but we should keep in mind that during traditional fasts (such as the forty-day period of Lent before Easter, in imitation of Christ's time of fasting and temptation; see Matthew 4:1-11), we are also guided to fast from many other things and passions, such as, for example, gossip and backbiting.  In modern times, it has become a common practice to refrain in whole or in part from social media as a Lenten practice, and we can each name a number of harmful things we're tempted to by social media.  The true purpose of all forms of spiritual discipline is to come to know the self, so that we may practice repentance or "change of mind" as the word literally means in Greek (metanoia/μετανοια).  But perhaps even more importantly in this context, we can't possibly understand others without first coming to understand ourselves -- especially in this sense of knowing our flaws and seeking to change more toward the image and likeness of God in which we are created, and which is modeled for us in the life of Jesus.  In Matthew 7 (part of the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus teaches, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye" (Matthew 7:1-5).  These words of Christ to His disciples clearly allude to this principle of coming to know oneself and wrestling with our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities to temptation and sin of all kinds.  For how else could they become teachers of others without first removing the "plank" in their own eye, in order to know and help remove the "speck" in another's?  What results from a blindness to our own hearts and our own flaws is the phenomenon known as "projection."  In our own blindness to ourselves, we project our flaws onto others, and see the "evil" we carry in those other people.  We can see this happening all around us, and one only has to take a look at social media to understand modern forms of the kind of hypocrisy and false judgment condemned by Christ.  When we observe such things, it tells about the failure to value humility and the capacity to come to know our own flaws -- and especially to practice compassion in the light of such truths.  When we fail to follow Christ's teachings, such flawed and socially harmful behavior -- this harsh judgment -- becomes a part of our currency.  We run the danger of it becoming "normal" to us, and something in which we willingly participate and introduce to others through our own flawed behavior.  When the world loses track of the "better yardstick" which faith gives us by which to measure ourselves, then the whole of the community and society loses, for sin works this way.  Let us consider the importance of our own awareness of ourselves, and the practices designed to lead us toward better self-knowledge and spiritual growth in the light of Christ, and the grace He brings to us.  For it is only in this sort of humility that we can become "great."  It is there we find ourselves as we need to be, and the road toward the life to which He calls us, and the spiritual fruit that is ours to produce.

 

When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you"

 

 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins: -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"

 

- Luke 5:12-26 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the multitude pressed about Jesus to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Leprosy, we should understand, was one of the most dreaded diseases of the time of Christ.  It brought great physical suffering, and also total banishment and isolation from society.  This was both in accordance with Mosaic Law and general practice of the time and for centuries later; my study Bible explains that leprosy is also a symbol of our sin. 

 

  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  Christ gives the command to "show yourself to the priest" in order to convince the priests by a tangible miracle that He is superior to Moses.  So writes St. Cyril of Alexandria, who is cited here by my study Bible.  The priests hold Moses to be greater than Christ, but Christ heals a leper immediately and with His own divine authority.  When Miriam, the sister of Moses, as struck with leprosy, Moses had to seek mercy from above, and still she was only healed after seven days (Numbers 12:10-15).  In addition, we should understand that Christ is telling the healed leper to fulfill the precepts of the religious law, in which priests were charged with dealing with lepers and leprous houses, as well as giving a certificate to enable the person to again participate in the community.  

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  Note that this is Christ's response to the growing fame of Himself and His ministry:  He often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  The more the world presses in and knows Him, the more He seeks communion with the Father.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  It's important to note that at this time, due to the rising fame of Jesus as described above, the Pharisees and other members of the religious establishment have clearly taken note of His ministry.  Here, Jesus is still in Capernaum, but these Pharisees and teachers of the law have come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem to observe what He's doing; that is, they have come from all areas of Israel.  

 

 And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins: -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"  My study Bible comments that, as shown by the healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  It encourages us to note that faith is both collective as well as personal -- as here the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in his healing.  The text tells us that Christ acts to forgive when He saw their faith.  My study Bible cites three signs of Jesus' divinity here.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30).  Second, He forgives sins, a power which belongs to God only.  Finally, He heals by the power of His word.

We note that in the healing of the paralytic, forgiveness and healing go hand in hand.  The Gospels include careful examples of Jesus explicitly denying that sin is responsible for afflictions in particular cases.  For example, when the disciples observe a man born blind, they ask Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus tells them that he is not blind because of sins, his own or those of his parents, but "that the works of God may be revealed in him" (see John 9).  In today's story, however, there seems to be a different understanding; that this man's paralysis is somehow connected to sin.  In fact, in patristic literature, paralysis is seen as an image or allegory to sin.  We become "stuck" in a repeated sin, habits we repeat and can't get past, ways of thinking we don't wish to change, false beliefs that keep us in the same bad place until we can come to a better understanding or more clarity.  Although we know very well that in this world 'bad things happen to good people' (and Jesus serves as our primary example of that), and the Gospels show us the malice of demonic presence and affliction of all kinds upon the innocent, here there seems to be some connection between this man's paralysis and sin -- as the first thing Jesus does, because of their faith, is forgive the paralyzed man for his sins ("Man, your sins are forgiven you").  The remarkable characteristic here is that forgiveness is extended to this man not because of anything he has done, but because of the faith of his friends, who so earnestly seek to get him before Christ that they go up on the roof and lower him down through the tiles into the crowded home.  They have made every effort on his behalf.  But again, we note that it's not simply because of their effort per se, but because of their faith that prompts those efforts.  Here, then, the power of faith is clearly on display -- because the great faith of the man's friends can work to free him from the paralysis of sin, and then even of the physical paralysis of his body due to Christ's spiritual and physical healing and intervention.  While there are several things to learn from this story, perhaps its greatest news for us is the power of prayer that is conveyed here.  Prayer is not only shown as being collective, but it is also somehow "contagious" -- that is, if we are a part of a praying community, we can benefit from that prayer, even when we are "stuck" somewhere in our own incapacity for prayer, our own sins or spiritual paralysis that puts us in such a state.  The prayers of a community can still help those who are nominally connected to that body of faith; prayers here work like a network that does not stop functioning just because one of its points isn't fully functioning.  Even if one is unable to participate due to some sort of affliction, be it of the soul, spirit, or body, prayer here works to bring that person before Christ, to help to gain freedom from sin and affliction, to find forgiveness.  This is why we may pray for others, why every Church service contains numerous prayers for both the living and the dead, for those of community and even outside the nominal church community in some sense (such as civil authorities).  It is why we pray for saints and we consider that saints may also pray for us; we are all part of the communion of Christ, the "great cloud of witnesses" that surrounds us (Hebrews 12:1).  In short, there are no real barriers to prayer that we know of, as illustrated in today's text.  We pray for those who have passed as well as for the living; and like the friends of the paralytic in today's reading, we may pray for those who, for whatever reason, may not be capable of praying for themselves.  It seems safe to say that we all know people who are either unaware of or unable to face their own problems, who may need our faith and our prayers even in secret for them.  Clearly, from the teachings of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, our prayers need not be known to others to be effective.  The one thing we might say makes our prayers ineffective is insincerity, hypocrisy, doing things only to be seen by others (see Matthew 6:5-6).  (For Christ, we know this also includes charitable deeds.)  For today, let us take note of the amazing power of prayer to make itself effective against all kinds of barriers.  It need not be the person with the problem who prays to be effective; time and space make no difference in terms of boundaries or barriers.  And let us consider, also, that we pray together with an entire created order of beings, including angels of unknown number and rank.  When we think about prayer, let us consider what a wide network we join, together with the work of the Holy Spirit in us and among us, for all gather unto Him.  Jesus Himself sets the example in today's reading, withdrawing all the more for prayer as His ministry expands.  Let us take confidence in doing likewise.

 

 

 

 

"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"

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, as soon as Jesus and His disciples 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.  This is again the family house of Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, mentioned in yesterday's reading, above.   We note that by now in Christ's ministry, He has become so well-known that there was no longer room to receive the people, not even near the door.  No doubt people are drawn by Jesus' reputation for healing, and they come to Him for this.  But note that He first 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!"   My study Bible asks us to note about today's reading that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, freeing humanity from its bondage.  To forgive sins is a greater power than to perform a physical healing, for, as the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  Thus, to grant the paralytic physical healing was the easier task.  Although Christ is fully God and holds the authority to forgive, my study Bible says, He condescends to those gathered and heals this man in order to draw people to God, whom they then glorified.  Additionally, we observe that faith is indispensable for salvation; it is collective as well as personal, my study Bible notes, for it is the faith of the friends of the paralytic who help in his healing.  There are three signs of Christ's divinity revealed:  He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30); He forgives sins, which is a power belonging to God alone; and He heals by the power of His word.

One thing we might notice immediately about today's reading is related to our commentary on yesterday's reading (here).  That is, it is Christ's acts which speak so eloquently to reveal God to us.  Above all, it is Christ's compassion that is expressed through what He does.  No doubt, His first act is to teach, to preach the word of the gospel of the Kingdom to the crowd in the house.  But in this work of preaching the word, Christ is revealing Himself as the Good Shepherd.  In chapter 6, just before He feeds a multitude in the wilderness, Mark tells us that "Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).  The other qualities of divinity revealed by what Jesus does are listed by my study Bible, which I've noted above:  He knows the secrets of people's heart, He forgives sins, and heals by the power of His word.  Let us not forget that the power of God's word is part of all creation, as in "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3), and that Christ is the Word (John 1:1).   Jesus, as part of the unfolding of His ministry, allows His identity to be "shown forth" through what He does.  He does not speak about Himself until it is time to do so, after He has been revealed through what He does, such as at the Last Supper to His disciples, or when He chooses to reveal Himself to one who will come to faith, such as the Samaritan woman in John 4 (whom we note is an outsider, a Gentile).  But Christ's way of life is most important for us as example, for we as His disciples are also drawn to this life where it is our actions that speak for us -- where what we live and do speak more eloquently than our declarations.  The spoken word is important and essential, but like Christ, we should endeavor that our words serve a purpose and reflect the reality of the Kingdom we wish to reveal and to bear into the world, and there we come to another good contemplation for Lent.  How can we let our actions speak for us?  How are we capable of using our words for their greatest effectiveness, including knowing when it is better not to speak, and not to reveal (Matthew 7:6)?  Lent is a good time to ponder how we can become more like Christ; that is, how the words we choose really matter, including the ones we omit.  But most especially we might wonder how our actions can reveal who we are, as Jesus taught (see Matthew 7:17-20).   It is said that we become "like" that which we love (Matthew 6:21).  Guided by faith, how will our expression, our works, express our love for God? 

 

 

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that as soon as they had come out of the synagogue after Jesus was preaching there, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with  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, "Le 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.  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!"  My study bible points out to us that one purpose of Christ's coming into the world is to forgive sins, freeing humanity from this bondage.  Forgiving sins is a greater power than physical healing, for, as the scribes correctly note, God alone can forgive sins.  In this way, my study bible explains, the easier task for Christ is to grant physical healing.  Although He is fully God and also holds the authority to forgive, Jesus condescends to those gathered and heals this paralytic so that people are drawn to God, whom they glorified.  Let us also note that this story reveals Christ's divinity as He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30).  In addition, He is revealed as the Word, whom John the Evangelist writes "was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:1-3) -- for He is able to heal humanity by the power of His word. 

It is worth contemplating what the power of a word is.  We know Christ's power to heal with His words, and that this power comes from His divine identity and being.  But this story also invites us to consider the power of our word, as it is directed to God and "with God" in prayer.  When we seek that communion, we seek a participation in something far grander than ourselves.  In prayer we may be connected to all the great communion of the saints and the angels, together with the Holy Trinity.  We enter into a communion that holds us, helps us, heals us.  But it also does something more:  our prayers allow us to help heal others.  This is illustrated through the action of the friends in this story, who make the effort to bring the paralytic to Christ.  They do not let obstacles stop them -- of so many other people crowding in for Christ's attention and help.  They go to the extraordinary effort to get their friend there, by going to the roof, uncovering it, and lowering down the bed through the opening so that their friend can be brought to Christ.  This is frequently likened to prayer, in which our words may also carry our friends to God when they cannot do it for themselves, or they need the help that we can provide.  This part of the reason why prayer is so important.  It is not merely for ourselves, but rather something we do "for the life of the world" (John 6:33, 51).  We call upon Christ through our participation in His life so that that life may also heal the world, whether we pray specifically for others or the prayers of the Church for the world or groups of people in the world -- or even through our own communion and subsequent life in the world in which we seek to live that faith.  Through prayer we enter into that mystical reality of the Word, which is also light and life, and our prayer anchors Christ in the midst of the world, wherever we are, whatever we experience and see, whatever may be happening in the world.  For those monastics who have gone to the deserts and monasteries throughout the world for a life of prayer, this is what they are quite conscious of doing.  They do not pray merely for themselves or some inward purpose, but for the life of the world, and to save the world.  Their prayers bring their life in Christ into the world -- just as the friends of the paralytic opened up the roof and lowered him down so he could be healed by Christ.  In a world consumed with activism and image, we have lost or forgotten this reality of our faith to a great extent, and I'm certain there are people who would scoff a the very idea although they are Christian.  But if we lose our understanding of our faith as a mystical religion and couched and based in mystical reality, we lose sight of who we are and what we are -- and especially the reality in which we participate and which is illumined for us through the ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels.  It is not possible to dismiss the mystical reality of God and the saints from our prayer; we are rooted there in that reality.  All of our practices enshrine it and build it; this is the meaning of the kingdom of God coming near to us (Luke 10:9-11;11:20) -- and that it is within us and among us (Luke 17:20-21).  In yesterday's reading (see above) the text made clear that Christ rose very early in the morning, before the sunrise, to begin His day with prayer.  Just like Christ's connection with the Father and the Spirit and the example He set for us, we should remember this foundation to our lives and to all that we do in the world.  It is part and parcel of our very purpose, and the purpose for which He was sent, to establish and maintain that communion.  Whether we pray with set prayers of the Church, read and recite the beautiful Psalms which we know Christ also prayed Himself, or use prayer practices like the Jesus Prayer or the prayers of the Rosary, we engage with our Lord and bring His life into the world as we do.   Interestingly, the paralytic was carried by four men.  One wonders if we might knew these four as the four points of the Cross which carries us, or the four Evangelists who gave us the living word of the Gospels.  But it is active prayer that connects us where we are in the here and the now, to the very life of Christ and God's living Kingdom in our midst.