Forgiveness Brings Healing

𝐉𝐀𝐍. 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝟏 𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝟖:𝟒-𝟕, 𝟏𝟎-𝟐𝟐

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟖𝟗:𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟗 “𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐊 𝟐:𝟏-𝟏𝟐

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐒𝐨𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧.” (𝐯.𝟓) 

          In his time and even up to today, Jesus has performed so many miracles from the time he turned water into wine and the healing of the paralytic as the one depicted in our Gospel today is one of the most popular.

         And the beauty of the Gospel narratives is that even the events in the life of Christ happened more than 2,000 years the message remains relevant in today’s post-modern setting. The healing of the paralytic is a perfect example of the continuity of the Gospel as it touches on our own paralysis and needs that can only find fulfillment in Jesus.

         What also makes this passage inspiring is the relationship between healing and forgiveness and again this scenario has something to do with the way we go through our lives. While we know God to be forgiving, unforgiveness seems to have become an accepted norm in our society today and we are exposed to it almost every day among our political leaders fighting for media and public attention. And we also see this even in the religious setting as unforgiveness has become the cause of many splits and separations within ministries and communities for that matter.

         Upon seeing the paralytic, Jesus said: “𝐒𝐨𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧.” (𝐯.𝟓) This scenario in Capernaum may seem to be a peculiar way of healing a man. Jesus, however, knew better and it was probable that he saw this as an opportunity to deliver at least two important messages. One was that he was the Son of Man who has an authority to forgive sins (𝐯.𝟏𝟎) and the other was that forgiveness brings healing.

         To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the existing religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned.

         But what the teachers of the law who were present when the healing of the paralytic took place were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (𝐯.𝟕).  

         This Gospel narrative is a moving story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus’ saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.

         It was customary in those days to leave open the doors of houses except when the owner do not want to be disturbed. As the paralytic carried by his friends could not find a way as the door was probably blocked by people who were listening to the teaching of Jesus, they found a way through the thatched roof made of brushwood packed with clay.

         The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith, and it was this faith that Jesus saw (𝐯.𝟓). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.

         The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. The paralytic was blessed to have friends such as these whose compassion for their paralyzed friend was beyond the ordinary. Without these friends, the paralytic could not have come to see Jesus and this story should move us to also appreciate the friends that we have.

         Perhaps we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time. How about members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.

         The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God. But Jesus knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (𝐯𝐯.𝟗-𝟏𝟐).            

         This was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that the name “𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧” was used. This title came from 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝟕:𝟏𝟑 where the Son of Man was described as a heavenly figure who in the end times has authority and power. Because Jesus is God but fully human, he could relate to our sufferings and help us overcome sin.

         What this Gospel passage shows us was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types.

         One such type is motor paralysis which occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts and go to the mission fields. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis which happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of our brothers and sisters. This also happens when we withhold our tithes and love offering to the Lord.

        Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from which may be caused by our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.

         When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would stand amazed and say “𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬!” (𝐯.𝟏𝟐) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘑𝘢𝘯. 16, 2026)