Homily: Monday, 2nd Week of Advent

Readings Is 35:1-10; Psalm 85; Lk 5:17-26

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The event Luke described in today's Gospel passage occurred not long after Jesus called His first disciples [Lk 5:1-11]. 

Just imagine the effect of all this excitement on these new followers of Jesus. They'd already seen Him do the unthinkable: he'd spoken to a leper and actually touched him. And then he did the impossible: he cured him [Lk 5:12-16].

Jesus Heals a Leper

This and many other cures, and His preaching, had attracted a lot of attention, so much attention that Pharisees and Scribes and others had come to see what Jesus was all about. As Luke tells us: 

"They came from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem" [Lk 5:17].

But they weren't there to praise Jesus, were they? No they watched and listened to Jesus as the crowds, the curious and the hopeful, anxiously approached Him. And in the midst of these crowds several men carried a paralytic to Jesus.

Before we go on, let me share 2 simple truths with you. They're relevant at this point in our brief journey.

Truth number one: Everyone needs healing.

That's right...everyone! Some of us might not need physical healing -- at least not yet -- but every single one of us needs spiritual healing. We're not all physically ill, but we are all sinners.

And the second truth? Each of us, at one time or another, experiences fear.

These are Gospel truths, you know. They're Gospel truths because they're such an integral part of the Gospel. Jesus did a lot of things during His public ministry. He preached, He taught, He listened, He warned, He prophesied, he blessed. But everywhere He went He always did two things: He healed and told us not to fear

Be Not Afraid!

The blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers and many others, moved by the Spirit, overcame their fears and, often in great humility, went directly to the Lord and begged for healing. 

But others were paralyzed, physically paralyzed or paralyzed by fear, unable to take that step on their own. That's where the rest of us come in. That's right; we're called to take part in Jesus' healing ministry by bringing others to Him.

Now back to Capernaum...

Luke, who loved to fill in the details, described how the men lowered the paralytic on a stretcher through a hole in the roof. But the same key point is made in all three synoptic Gospels: the paralytic did not come on his own, but was brought to Jesus by others.

What about the man himself? He was paralyzed physically; but was he also paralyzed spiritually? I suspect so, based on what Jesus said and did. At first Jesus didn't even address his physical condition, but simply said:

"As for you, your sins are forgiven" [Lk 5:20].

In Matthew's Gospel Jesus uses slightly different words:

"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven" [Mt 9:2].

 Courage, that which moves us despite our fears, and our unforgiven sins, the source of spiritual paralysis. Yes, doubly paralyzed, he needed others to help him find the healing power of Jesus Christ.

"Your sins are forgiven..."

This man's friends, despite all the obstacles, carried him to Jesus, even if it meant cutting a hole in the roof. How important were those men? The Gospel text is explicit. Jesus didn't respond to the faith of the paralytic; indeed, it's never even mentioned. No, Jesus responded to the faith of the friends, those who carried him to Jesus.

What kind of healing did our Lord provide? The kind that brought this man to wholeness, to  spiritual healing, "...your sins are forgiven."

The physical healing came later, almost as an afterthought, as a way for Jesus to prove His divine power, to demonstrate that he had the power and the authority to perform the greatest miracle of that day, to heal the soul, to offer spiritual healing through the forgiveness of sins.

You see, physical healing by God is never an end in itself. It always aims at something else, something much greater: the soul's spiritual healing, to remove our fears, to continue the lifelong conversion that our faith demands of us.

But notice the disciples, those first-century versions of you and me. What were they doing? Pretty much what they'd always done: creating obstacles, blocking the way to Jesus.

What about us? Do we make it easy for others to approach Jesus for healing and forgiveness? Are we stretcher-bearers or obstacles? And even when we do respond, so often we just go half-way. 

Sometimes our words are too sharp, or dismissive, or even silent.

Sometimes we keep Christ tucked away in a pocket, instead of holding Him up for all to see. 

Sometimes we flat out miss Jesus, even when He's right there in front of us: when He's hungry, or thirsty, or too sick, or a bit too shabby, or just too different.

Do we see now how Jesus comes into our lives? He does that, you know, through others, every day.

Do we see now what Jesus meant when He said, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

Yes, far too often I've been a obstacle to healing or, at best, a pretty incompetent stretcher-bearer, but I like to think I'm learning to follow the Spirit's urgings when Jesus calls, or when He just shows up right there in front of me.

Pray for me and know that I'll be praying for you.