Word to the Wise
Friday, January 17, 2020 - Friday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Sam 8:4-7, 10-22a and Mark 2:1-12]"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. [Mark]
JANUARY 17 ST. ANTHONY, hermit
The first couple of chapters of the Gospel According to Mark show Jesus establishing his credentials. He shows his power over demons and illness, but now he shows a bigger power: the power to forgive sins! The first thing he says to the paralytic lying in front of him is: "Child, your sins are forgiven." This astonishes the audience who firmly believe that only God can do that. Precisely! But they will not make the connection, even though the paralytic gets up, grabs his mat and walks off!
It seems to me that the crowd's faith contrasts with the four guys who bring the paralytic to Jesus and show engineering "can-do" ingenuity. They can't get in the house through the door? No problem. Go up on the roof and open up a hole and let the guy down through it. We are told that Jesus' response is to THEIR faith.
The story is not about punishment for sin, as if the paralytic was paying for sins with his paralysis. The story is about Jesus' power to forgive sin in a way that restores the person to a community and not just a pardon for offenses. We cannot ignore the fact that all sin is social. Someone always gets hurt. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are restored to full life in the Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints. The paralytic was the beneficiary of this important aspect of forgiveness. So are we, with thanks, too, to those four engineers! AMEN