***
Gospel: Mark 2: 1-12
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
–he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
***
As nice as that sounds – the forgiveness of sins – the scribes don’t seem to care. All they see is a man paralyzed, lying on a stretcher!
If Jesus is the miracle worker he claims to be, then why not heal this poor man’s body?
The scribes see what many do – only that which is physical.
Jesus sees beneath the surface. He sees this man’s soul. The miracle of physical healing has a shelf life.
But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.
That’s what matters in the end.
***
While it was a beautiful thing to have this man’s body healed, Christ the Teacher always takes us deeper. He encourages this man – and all of us today – to focus on healing what matters most, our soul.
Is there any part of me that is paralyzed – by sin or weakness?
***
Let these words of Christ wash over you: “Take courage, your sins are forgiven.”
May the same Lord who cleansed this paralytic with a single command, also purify us today.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Bob Young, Medium (2) letterpile.com (3) Faithlife Sermons