The healing of a paralytic

ONE day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

REFLECTION

We have seen incredible things today

The coming of the Messiah signals the unfolding of many wonderful things. The prophet Isaiah says that the desert will rejoice and all the pain of mankind will cease. God will pave a good road, and everyone is invited to tread on it, the road to holiness.

It is gravely necessary for a traveler in the desert to find a road that points to a clear destination. This can spell either death or life. If a traveler loses his way in the desert and does not find any food or drink or shelter, his life is endangered. The heat during the day can burn his skin; at night it can become very cold. Added to this is the threat brought by wild beasts and brigands in the desert. All such dangers may be avoided if the traveler takes a safe and familiar route that leads to a sure destination.

God called Abraham to leave his own land and to journey to a land being given to him by God. At that time, Abraham was 75 years old, and if he did not put trust in God’s command, he would not have heeded God’s call. But because he trusted in God, Abraham took his entire family and journeyed towards the Promised Land.

God also called Moses to lead the Hebrew people as they wandered in the desert. After God had liberated them from slavery in Egypt, God guided them in the desert.