Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Antolin Uy SVD – Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City
Monday 2nd Week of Advent
Great crowds tend to attend Christ’s preaching and healing. He attracts all sorts of people from everywhere, they invariably consisting of two distinct groups: (a) the learned, educated Jews and (b) the poor, the needy and the sick.
The Pharisees and the scribes, teachers and religious leaders, like in many other occasions, fail to understand Him. Jesus bears out the zeal and the faith of the companions of the paralyzed man as if to say they contribute to the cure of the paralytic. “As for you,” the Lord addresses the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven.”
That is when the Pharisees and the scribes identify themselves. Rightly, they regard Jesus a blasphemer for healing the paralytic and forgiving his sins. Only God forgives. Intelligent and astute observers that they are they could have asked themselves, this Jesus could possibly be what he claims to be? Bias and partiality blinds them.
Jesus with no use for rules and traditions see what is in their hearts: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk.’”
In contrast watch the paralyzed man and his companions. Having witnessed the miracle, astonished and in awe, they believe glorifying God: “We have seen incredible things today.”
Jesus, God and a human being himself, always sees the bodily needs of each one of us even as He heals us of our spiritual infirmities. In following the Lord we can never fail to acknowledge His everlasting love.
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