men brought a paralyzed man who lay on his mat. They tried to enter the house to place him before
Jesus, but they couldn’t find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof, and, removing
the tiles, they lowered him on his mat into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.” At once the
teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to wonder, “This man insults God! Who can forgive sins,
but God alone?”
But Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them, “Why are you reacting like this? Which is easier to say:
‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk’? Now you shall know, that the Son of Man has authority on
earth to forgive sins.” And Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” At
once, the man stood before them. He took up the mat he had been lying on, and went home praising God.
Amazement seized the people and they praised God. They were filled with a holy fear, and said,
“What wonderful things we have seen today!”
Reflect:
Honestly speaking, I find it easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” than say, “get up and walk.” Imagine this:
Someone pours his heart out to me about his struggles in life. I listen to him and say, “I will pray for you.”
Of course, pray I must, first and foremost; but I must confess that it is far more “convenient” to assure him
of my prayers than do something about helping him “get up and walk.” In other words, I must pray for him
as well as become the answer to his prayer, to the best of my ability. Just as Jesus did – he not only forgave
the sins of the paralytic, but healed his body as well. Here is an advent challenge from St. James: “If a brother
or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your
fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (2:15-16).
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022