Thursday, July 6, 2017 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Reading: Gn 22:1b –19;
Gospel: Matthew 9: 1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralyticlying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that,some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sinsare 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 then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up yourstretcher, and go home.” He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
When Jesus declared forgiveness of sin to the paralytic the Pharisees cried foul. It was considered blasphemy to usurp power that was exclusive to God. Since they did not believe Jesus was God, they accused him of blasphemy. Jesus fought back. Since in those days people associated sickness with sin, he cured the sickness to prove he could forgive sins.
At this the Pharisees lost their bearing. They were intellectually disarmed. They appeared so dumb when Jesus asked: Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? It would have been easier for Jesus to say “Your sins are forgiven”. To make him rise and walk was much harder. But Jesus did the harder part. And when he made the paralytic pick up his mat and walk, he rammed on the throats of his enemies the truth about his power to forgive sins. With the healing of the paralytic, who could argue about his power to forgive? “Contra facta no valet argumenta” (Where facts are clearly established, no contrary arguments prevail).
Today nobody doubts about Jesus’ power to forgive sins. But the harder teaching is the vicarial doctrine of the Sacrament of Reconciliation where priests dispense God’s power to forgive. Very few priests are given the power to heal. If all priests can heal, then people will flock to every priest for healing and not necessarily for forgiveness of sins. It was necessary for Jesus to heal the paralytic because he was still establishing his authority to forgive sins. Since this is already established, forgiveness dispensed by priests need not be accompanied by physical healing.
However, miracles can still happen when one learns to kneel in humility before a forgiving God. For when God forgives, he can also heal the body. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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