Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?”

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:17-26

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? 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 said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is teaching a crowd of people including Pharisees and teachers of the law. The Pharisees and scribes were the most knowledgably of all the Jews. They knew what was and what was not allowed by Jewish law and tradition. Jesus is imparting wisdom on those who have stopped to listen to his message. Crowds of people would stop to listen making it almost impossible to even get near him. On this event, some men brought a friend of theirs who was paralyzed. They could not get to Jesus because of the crowds so “not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.” Jesus, seeing the faith of the men said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

The scribes and the Pharisees began to question Jesus, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” So he answered them, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” At that moment, Jesus cured the paralyzed man to demonstrate who he was. This story has so many teachings. Jesus is moved by the faith of the group of men that brought him the paralyzed man. What burden these men had to overcome to bring their friend to God. First, they had to load the paralyzed man on a bed to carry him to Jesus. Once they got there, the entrance to house was blocked because of all the people. Seeing this obstacle, they could have simply turned around and went home. But instead they crawled up on the roof with the paralyzed man, cut a hole in the roof and lowered the man down to Jesus. These acts demonstrate the true determination of these men. Nothing was going to prevent them from getting to Christ. So what did Christ do to reward these men? He forgave the paralyzed man of his sins. Jesus knows what inflictions truly cripple us. It was important to forgive this man of his sins then it was to cure him of his paralysis.

The Pharisees were not happy at what they witnessed. Only God can forgive someone for their sins. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. What little faith these Pharisees had. Even listening to Jesus, they did not recognize who he was. To reveal himself to the Pharisees and scribes he replied to them, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” He then turned to the paralyzed man and said, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” After performing the miracle “astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, ‘We have seen incredible things today.’”

Jesus came to free us from our sins. He came to reveal himself to man by performing miracles, allowing the blind to see and the paralyzed to walk. Sins separate us from God. They make us unable to see and walk with God in his glory. What ailment was a greater concern to the paralyzed man, his sins or his physical paralysis? Obviously his sins would prevent him from walking in the kingdom of God. Therefore, Jesus cured the paralyzed man by forgiving his sins. What sins are blinding you and keeping you from walking with Christ? What are you willing to do to free yourself from those sins?

A Simple Prayer:

Lord God, you are the ultimate doctor.

You open my eyes and my ears so I can hear your words.

Allow me to see you and hear you.

Thanks

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon