Word to the Wise
Friday, January 17, 2025 - Friday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 4:1-5, 11 and Mark 2:1-12]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?" [Mark]
JANUARY 17 ST. ANTHONY, abbot
This story is one of the most dramatic incidents in Jesus' ministry. One can only imagine what a disturbance was caused by a sudden noise and pieces of roof falling into the room, followed by a sleeping mat with a paralyzed man on it being plopped down in front of Jesus!! After the dust clears, two things happen that are important. The first thing is that Jesus "sees" the faith of the four men who bring the paralytic for healing. It is THEIR faith that moves Jesus to heal the paralytic. The second thing is that Jesus also recognizes the thoughts of the scribes in regard to his power to forgive sins and shows them that divine power can restore both physical and moral illness. The paralytic is not only healed but he is restored to normal life with his community! At this point, the "divine power" is simply a question in the minds of the onlookers, especially the scribes. But we, 2000+ years later, are able to benefit from the whole gospel and see this incident in the light of the events to come.
What can OUR faith do for someone else? We can always pray for someone, to begin with. What else can we do to help with a paralyzed life? The answer to that question will vary with the circumstances, but we have the four stretcher-bearers to inspire us to realize that faith also includes action on behalf of our neighbor. We can be confident that the Lord will see it and know the thoughts of our minds and hearts. AMEN