The healing of the paralytic

Our Sunday gospel is another story about the healing ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. This time it is about the Healing of a Paralytic. Like all healing stories, it reveals the glory of God and exposes the hypocritical Pharisees and scribes. In my book, this is one of the best healing stories of our Lord Jesus Christ because he really shows them God’s great glory. You can read today’s gospel in Mark 2:1-12.

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 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. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God along can forgive sins?”

8 Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “You sins are forgiven, or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk?’ 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins or earth’— 11 he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise pick up your mat, and go home.” 12 He rose, picked up his mat at once, and when away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

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As I pointed out, this is one of the best healing stories in the Bible because it teaches us that if we have a strong faith, the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ would be so touched, He would heal you. This story happens in Capernaum and almost all the people in the village knew that Jesus was home and many of them went to visit him. The house was so crowded, there was no way a paralytic carried by four men could enter the house.

Because the four men were determined to see the Lord, they climbed the roof and removed the tiles and lowered the paralytic into his midst. How could the Jesus not notice this activity? Sensing their strong faith, the Lord speaks to the paralytic and said, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Notice that the Lord didn’t do anything else, but forgive the sins of the paralytic.

But this incensed the scribes who were with the crowd, (perhaps they were spying on the activities of the Messiah) and thus they asked themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” The scribes there only reveal their ignorance of the Torah or specifically Isaiah, who prophesied the coming of the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Surely they must have heard of John the Baptist who was baptizing in the River Jordan and foretold the coming of the Messiah.

While they were merely talking among themselves, our Lord Jesus knew what they were talking about and asked them why they were thinking that way? Remember at this point, the Lord merely told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. So he told the scribes, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Rise, pick up your mat and walk?’” But the scribes had no answer, what could they say anyway!

But the Lord didn’t wait for any answers from the scribes and told the paralytic, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth, I say to you, rise pick up your mat, and go home.” The paralytic then stood up, picked up his mat and walked away to everyone’s amazement. Indeed, it is very easy to say… “Your sins are forgiven” but no one has done what the Jesus Christ did for the paralytic…tell him to get up and walk… right before everyone’s eyes.

Perhaps you should ask yourself… if you were one of the people inside the room, what would you say about what you saw? Surely you too will be amazed and believe that our Lord does not only heal the sick, but he also has the power or the authority to forgive sins. Of course this gospel story doesn’t tell us what the scribes did after this event. Possibly, they too became believers, after all no one has seen such a miracle done before the eyes of so many people.

But remember, this event happened very early in our Lord’s ministry. Three years later, many of his followers would even abandon him when he spoke about eating the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, a teaching they could not accept. This differentiates them from Catholics who are blessed to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion everyday if they so desire. Catholics believe in this truth.

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