Author: admin

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 1-8

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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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 the paralyzed man’s body?

The scribes only see what many do – that which is physical.

But Jesus sees beneath the surface. He sees this man’s soul – not only the goodness within him, but also the times and places where he’s fallen short and remains in need of God’s forgiveness. 

The day will come when this man’s body, although miraculously healed today, is placed in the earth. But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.

That’s the greatest miracle, a miracle that Christ promises to all who believe in him – eternal life.

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While it’s a beautiful thing to heal a person’s body, Christ the Teacher draws us deeper, encouraging us to remember what matters most – not our physical, but our spiritual, life.

Is there any part of my life that remains paralyzed by sin and needs to be healed?

It could be a particular fear, memory, or habit.

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We place these things before Jesus, asking him to say to us what he once said to that man:

“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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Image credits: (1) LetterPile (2) St. Paul University Iloilo (3) Archdiocese of Malta

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Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From a Jewish perspective, this might be the most ritually impure scene in all of the Gospels.

There are demons, dead bodies, and pigs, all present in Gentile territory, the sworn enemies of the Jews.

Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?

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By entering into “forbidden” territory, Jesus reveals concern for everyone.

While the Jews held a very exclusive idea of God – he belonged only to the ritually pure, Jesus reveals that God is the Good Shepherd, who seeks out all of his creation, even those who are lost in the darkness. 

Then Jesus reveals the depths of this power.

He not only has the ability to still stormy seas or to heal leprosy; he also has power over evil. “If you drive us out,” the demons say to him in today’s Gospel, “then send us into the herd of swine.”

“And he said to them, ‘Go then!’”

And off they went.

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So, what does this mean for us?

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Jesus is not afraid of any area of our life, even parts of ourselves that, at times, we may want to hide. 

Unlike the villagers in the Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave, may we embrace the Lord, allowing him to cast out what doesn’t belong to Him, to heal us, and to set us free.

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Image credits: (1) Mary-Medium (2) Christian Art (3) PngTree

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the only moment in the Gospels where Jesus is found asleep.

Surely, he slept most nights. His days were long and often tiring. So, why would Matthew insist on telling us that Jesus fell asleep that night, as opposed to any other night?

Because he fell asleep in the middle of a storm – a storm so strong that it terrified the disciples, who were also professional fishermen.

Imagine them staggering like drunkards, struggling to find their balance… meanwhile, Jesus is fast asleep on a cushion.

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Did Jesus fall asleep knowing the storm was coming? Was this all a test of the disciples’ faith? 

What if they were right where God wanted them to be – staggering uncomfortably on a boat, learning how to trust? 

Even if asleep, Jesus was right next to them. 

Perhaps God was inviting the disciples to remember the words of the Psalmist: “The floods of water may reach high, but you they shall not overcome. You are my shelter, O LORD; you guard me from distress.” (Psalm 32)

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We’ve all had that sinking feeling in our stomach like we’re going to drown – not necessarily in water, but in debt, in fear, in temptation, in grief, in doubt, or in loneliness.

While our prayers can – and often do – awaken a “sleeping Jesus,” perhaps the deeper invitation in today’s Gospel is to imagine the disciples drifting uncomfortably in the storm, doing their best to trust that all will be well, even if they don’t see the end in sight.

Jesus is with them. They will not drown. They did not drown. Nor will we.

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“The floods of water may reach high, but you they shall not overcome.”

Awake or asleep, Jesus is with us.

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Image credits: (1) Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt (2) Ibid. (3) Unsplash