Saturday
Two things jumped out at me in today’s reading. The amazing friendship and loyalty of the paralytic’s friends and how Jesus dealt with nay-sayers.
It seems like every time you try to do something good, someone wants to come along and find fault with what you’re doing. You know what I mean. I imagine we’ve all been there. People who, I think, live to criticize. “I wouldn’t have done it that way.” “Why are you doing that… it’s all wrong.”
Jesus is often confronted with “teachers of the Law” or Pharisees or religious leaders. They try to find fault with what Jesus is doing. “Why does the Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7). But Jesus always seems to have an answer for their questions. Well, actually he turns around and asks them a question. “Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? Of course the answer is “it’s easier to say ‘your sins are forgiven’” and the Pharisees know that, so when Jesus demonstrates his authority by then healing the man, well, he pretty much puts them in their place and also announces that he is, in fact, God.
You see the answer was there for the nay-sayers, they just didn’t like the answer, they didn’t want to see the truth, and so they look for ways to discredit Jesus (and they will until they kill him and even afterwards).
I also, was really moved in this reading by the loyalty and love of the paralytic’s friends. This was no easy task they performed. Their faith brought him to Jesus. Their determination saw it through. They used a bit of unconventional measures to also ensure that they would get their friend before Jesus. How often have we displayed such determination and tenacity to bring our friends before Jesus? I know I could be doing a better job. So ask yourself, which of my friends are like the paralytic, broken and in need of healing, in need of forgiveness of their sins? What are you going to do about it?
Blessings on the day
Pastor Kathy