MARK 2:1-12
WHEN I LISTEN TO THIS
GOSPEL, I HAVE AN ODD REACTION. HAVE YOU EVER MOVED A PARALYZED
PERSON AROUND? I HAVE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. THEY ARE DEAD WEIGHT.
HERE FOUR MEN HAVE STRUGGLED TO GET THEIR FRIEND UP ON THE ROOF OF
THE HOUSE IN WHICH JESUS IS TEACHING AND HEALING. THEY HAVE REMOVED
A PORTION OF THE ROOF, AND THEN VERY CAREFULLY LOWERED THEIR FRIEND
DOWN IN FRONT OF JESUS. THE GOSPEL TELLS US THAT JESUS SAW THEIR
FAITH. NOW WE KNOW THAT IN OTHER STORIES ABOUT JESUS' MIRACLES,
THAT'S IMPORTANT. HE TELLS A WOMAN THAT HER FAITH HAS SAVED HER. HE
COMMENTS ON THE LACK OF FAITH WHEN HE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WORKING
MIRACLES IN HIS HOME TOWN. FAITH SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT FOR JESUS IF
MIRACLES ARE TO HAPPEN. SO WHEN JESUS SEES THE FAITH OF THE FRIENDS
OF THE PARALYZED MAN, WE WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT THE NEXT THING
TO HAPPEN WOULD BE A MIRACLE.
WHEN JESUS SAYS, “CHILD,
YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” I AM A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED. OF COURSE
JESUS GOES ON TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND REALLY DOES HEAL THE MAN, SO IT
ALL TURNS OUT WELL IN THE END. BUT THINK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT MY
ASSUMPTIONS. FORGIVING SINS IS NO BIG DEAL; HEALING A PARALYTIC IS.
I THINK THE SCRIBES WERE
PROBABLY SMARTER THAN I AM AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THEY REACTED WITH
SHOCK AND ALARM WHEN JESUS SAID “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.”
DURING THE TIME JESUS
WALKED THE EARTH, EVERYONE KNEW THAT HEALINGS TOOK PLACE THROUGH
MIRACULOUS INTERVENTION. THEY WERE WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE SCRIPTURES,
AND IT WAS COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK OUT HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, NOT JUST
AMONG THE JEWS BUT EVEN AMONG THE PAGANS. AND SOMETIMES HEALING TOOK
PLACE. TODAY WE MIGHT HAVE A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION FOR IT, BUT THIS
KIND OF THINKING WASN'T HAPPENING THEN, AND IF YOU SOUGHT THE
INTERVENTION OF GOD OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD, AND YOU WERE HEALED,
CAUSE AND EFFECT WAS OBVIOUS. SOMETIMES JESUS' OPPONENTS ATTRIBUTED
HIS HEALING TO DEMONIC FORCES; AND ONCE AT LEAST THEY TRIED TO
CONVINCE THE MAN BLIND FROM BIRTH THAT JESUS DIDN'T REALLY HEAL HIM,
BUT MOST OF THE TIME, NO ONE QUESTIONS THAT JESUS COULD HEAL.
BUT THAT SOMEONE COULD
FORGIVE SINS – THAT WAS BLASPHEMY. A SIN WAS AN OFFENSE AGAINST
GOD, AND ONLY GOD COULD FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO OFFENDED HIM. THE JEWS
SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME AND EFFORT HOPING TO PERSUADE GOD TO
FORGIVE THEIR SINS. ON YOM KIPPUR, ONE GOAT WAS OFFERED TO GOD AND
THE OTHER SENT INTO THE DESERT SYMBOLICALLY CARRYING THE SINS OF THE
PEOPLE. EVERY DAY IN THE TEMPLE, A LAMB WAS SACRIFICED IN THE
MORNING AND ANOTHER IN THE EVENING FOR THE SINS OF ISRAEL; AND PEOPLE
PAID FOR PRIVATE SACRIFICES AS WELL. AND DESPITE THIS, ALL
REMEMBERED HOW GOD HAD REJECTED THE SACRIFICE OF CAIN FOR REASONS
WHICH NO ONE KNEW; AND THEY KNEW THE SCRIPTURE THAT SAID, “GOD
LOVED ISAAC AND HATED EASAU”. WHO COULD TELL IF GOD EVER FORGAVE
SINS?
BUT THIS IS WHAT JESUS
SAW. THE PARALYTIC WAS PARALYZED BECAUSE OF SIN. IT WASN'T PERSONAL
SIN; BUT EVEN NOW, EVERY TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO IS BROKEN DOWN BY
OLD AGE, WHO IS WEARING A CASTE, WHO HAS TO HAVE A HEARING AID OR
EYEGLASSES TO USE THOSE SENSES; ANYTIME YOU SEE A HUMAN BEING WHOSE
BODY OR MIND COULD USE SOME TUNING UP BY GOD, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE
CONSEQUENCES OF SIN. WE ARE ALL SINNERS; WE ALL SHARE IN THE SIN OF
OUR FIRST PARENTS, AND EVEN IF WE HAVE HARDLY EVER COMMITTED ANY KIND
OF SERIOUS SIN, WE SHARE IN THE SOCIETAL SINS – AS SOMEONE ONCE
SAID, IF YOU HAVE TWO SETS OF CLOTHING AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS NONE,
THAT PERSON OWNS THAT SECOND SET. WE ARE ALL DESPERATELY IN NEED OF
FORGIVENESS.
AND THE REAL MIRACLE IS
THAT WE CAN RECEIVE FORGIVENESS AND KNOW WE ARE FORGIVEN. THAT'S THE
MIRACLE OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
JOHN PAUL II TELLS US
THAT THE BODY IS A SACRAMENT OF THE SELF. THAT MEANS THAT THE BODY
REVEALS THE SELF BEHIND IT, WHAT WE MIGHT CALL THE SOUL. AND ACTIONS
BY THE BODY, AND ACTIONS DONE TO THE BODY, AFFECT THE SELF. THESE
BODIES WE HAVE NOW WE WILL HAVE FOREVER, BECAUSE WE ARE MADE TO BE
EMBODIED SPIRITS. SO WHEN THE SCRIBES RECOIL IN HORROR AS JESUS
CLAIMS THE POWER TO FORGIVE SIN, JESUS SHOWS THEM THAT HE HAS THE
POWER BY DOING TO THE BODY WHAT HE HAS JUST DONE TO THE SOUL – THE
SOUL HAS BEEN FREED OF PARALYSIS, NOW THE BODY WILL BE AS WELL.
JESUS LEAVES US WITH
ACCESS TO REAL MIRACLES THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS. BUT THEY ARE
MIRACLES THAT AFFECT OURSELVES. LAZARUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD,
BUT HE STILL GREW OLD AND DIED. NONE OF THE MIRACLES OF HEALING THAT
JESUS PERFORMED WHEN HE WAS WALKING THE EARTH, OR EVEN THAT HE
PERFORMS TODAY THROUGH HIS MOTHER AND THE SAINTS, IS A LASTING
MIRACLE, ONLY A SIGN THAT MIRACLES ARE POSSIBLE. THE REAL MIRACLES
ARE THOSE THAT AFFECT THE TRUE SELF, MIRACLES OF FORGIVENESS, AS IN
PENANCE; MIRACLES OF BECOMING ONE WITH CHRIST, AS IN THE EUCHARIST,
THE MIRACLE OF BECOMING A SON OR DAUGHTER OF GOD, THROUGH BAPTISM;
AND YOU CAN FILL IN THE BLANKS FOR THE OTHER SACRAMENTS. JESUS LEFT
US THE IMPORTANT MIRACLES, AND IT IS A TERRIBLE FAILURE OF
IMAGINATION AND INDEED, OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY, THAT WE FEEL
A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WHEN JESUS TELLS THE PARALYZED MAN “YOUR SINS
ARE FORGIVEN.” AND WE WAIT ANXIOUSLY FOR THE SUPPOSED “REAL”
MIRACLE TO COME.
AS WE BEGIN TO ENTER THE
LENTEN SEASON, LET US MAKE AN EFFORT TO SEE REALITY MORE CLEARLY.
LET US APPRECIATE AND REVEL IN THE FACT THAT WE CAN BE FORGIVEN IF WE
WANT TO BE; THAT WE CAN BE ONE WITH JESUS IF WE WANT; AND THAT THESE
MIRACLES ARE FAR GREATER THAN A MERE HEALING, OR EVEN BEING RAISED
FROM THE DEAD. OUR TRUE GOAL, OUR TRUE HOME, IS TO BE GATHERED INTO
THE TRINITY, WHERE WE WILL EXPERIENCE LIFE SUCH THAT WHAT WE HAVE NOW
WILL BE NOTHING BUT A SHADOW. AND GOD DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO
MAKE THIS A SURE THING IF WE WANT IT. AND THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS
US FROM THAT GOAL IS OUR OWN SELVES. WE WOULD RATHER BE HEALED FROM
PARALYSIS THAN HAVE OUR SINS FORGIVEN. OTHERWISE, OUR CONFESSIONALS
WOULD BE OCCUPIED DAY AND NIGHT, AND OUR PRIESTS WOULD HAVE TIME FOR
NOTHING ELSE.
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