Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time – Odd Year of the Fair
Posté par diaconos le 15 janvier 2021
The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth
# According to Irenaeus of Lyons, Jesus showed his divinity by this miracle: « But, because it was from God that the only Son came for the salvation of all ». And to the Pharisees, who did not welcome his coming and therefore did not believe in the remission of sins accomplished by him, he said: « So that you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins on earth, he commanded the paralytic to take up the pallet on which he was lying and return home. By performing this miracle, he confounded the unbelievers and made them understand that he himself was the Voice of God.
The paralysis was the consequence of his sins. By forgiving sins, Jesus not only healed man, He revealed who He was, that no one can forgive sins but God alone. Jesus suffered with us, and, like God, had mercy on us and forgave us our debts to God our Creator ». John Chrysostom quotes the Bible which says that Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Just as he came to open the eyes of the blind so that they might believe, he gives legs to the infirm so that they might enter Heaven.
From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
A few days after the healing of a leper, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and it was learned that he was at home. So many people gathered there
that there was no more room, not even in front of the door, and he announced the Word to them.
People came and brought to him a paralysed man, carried by four men. Since they could not get near him because of the crowd, they discovered the roof above him, made an opening, and lowered the stretcher on which the paralysed man was lying.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralysed man: « My child, your sins are forgiven. « Now there were some of the scribes sitting there, reasoning within themselves: « Why does this man speak this way?
He blasphemes. Who then can forgive sins but God alone? « And immediately Jesus, perceiving their reasoning in his mind, said to them, « Why do you reason like this? What is the easiest thing to do? To say to this paralysed man: « Your sins are forgiven », or to say to him: « Get up, take your stretcher and walk » ?
Well! So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth… – Jesus addressed the paralysed man – I tell you, get up, take your stretcher and go home. « He got up, immediately took his stretcher and went out in front of everyone. They were all astonished and gave glory to God, saying, « We’ve never seen anything like this. » (Mk 2, 1-12)
Healing of a paralytic
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, the house where he found himself was overrun by a large crowd to whom he proclaimed the Gospel. They brought a paralytic to him ; but they that carried him, not being able to come near him because of the crowd, went up to the roof of the house, and took down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying, and laid him at Jesus’ feet.
Jesus said to the paralytic : « Your sins are forgiven you. » But the scribes who were there murmured against him and accused him of blasphemy. Immediately Jesus, penetrating their thoughts, proved to these adversaries that he had the power to forgive: he ordered the paralytic to get up and go to his house.
Immediately the paralytic got up, took up his pallet and went out in the presence of all. At this sight the crowd gave glory to God. This return to Capernaum took place a few days after the event that had forced him to stay away. In all the rather considerable houses of the East, there is a vast, square, enclosed courtyard, which precedes the flats; this is what is called here: the space that was in front of the door.
This courtyard, as well as the house, was invaded by the crowd, and is not enough to contain it. And it was there that Jesus announced the word to them. Mark placed this fact, like Luke, after the healing of the leper and, like Matthew, before the calling of Levi. The three evangelists remained independent of each other. The accounts of Mark and Luke, which reported the same details, did not have a single common expression.
In the East the roofs of the houses are flat and form a kind of terrace where one stands during the cool hours of the day. But this passage was obstructed by the crowd, so the porters reached it either by an outside staircase or by the roof of a neighbouring house : « Whoever is on the roof must not go down to take away what is in his house » (Mt 24, 17).
When they arrived at the platform, they removed some of the slabs and then cut an opening in the layer of bitumen and reeds that the slabs covered, and, having thus made a passage over the square where Jesus was standing, they brought the sick man down to his feet, into the room from where he spoke to the people.
First of all, a word of tender compassion : My child, to which Jesus added, according to Matthew, « Be of good cheer ! » Then he gave the sick man a gift infinitely more excellent than the healing of the body, the forgiveness of sins that heals the soul. Jesus did not announce forgiveness, he gave it. Matthew presented the same variant.
Matthew, Mark and Luke were unanimous in reporting the fact that Jesus knew the thoughts of his adversaries; but Mark, in order to bring out even more clearly the divine science by which Jesus penetrated hearts, noticed that he knew them by his mind or in his spirit.
Matthew merely noted the feelings of the crowds : « They were filled with fear, and they glorified God, who has given such power to men. Mark reported one of the words in which these feelings were expressed : « We have never seen anything like this. » Luke said : « And they were all amazed, and glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, » We have never seen anything like this : « We have seen strange things today ! «
Deacon Michel Houyoux
Links to other Christian websites
◊ Flatwoods Church of Christ : click here to read the paper → The Son of Man Has Authority to Forgive Sins
◊ Central United Church : click here to read the paper → The Son of Man Has Authority on Earth to Forgive
♥ Gateway Church Ashford
Publié dans Catéchèse, Disciples de Jésus, Paroisses, Religion, Temps ordinaire | Pas de Commentaire »