Healing and ‍ forgiveness

Friday, January 17, 2020
1st Week in Ordinary Time
First Reading:
1 Sm 8:4–7, 10–22a
Gospel Reading: Mk 2:1-12
JESUS returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door. While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to him.
The four men who carried him couldn’t get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, “How can he speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?” At once Jesus knew through his spirit what they were thinking and asked, “Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
And he said to the paralytic, “Stand up, take up your mat and go home.” The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
The Jews were scandalized when Jesus forgave the paralytic. By arrogating unto himself God’s exclusive power to forgive, Jesus was liable for blasphemy- a crime punishable by death. But before they could convict him, Jesus cured the paralytic instantly. The instant cure was hard evidence of Jesus’ power to forgive, because they also believed that sin is the root of most, if not all sicknesses.
Did the healing of the paralytic come as an afterthought – a strategy to parry the accusing fingers of the Jews? Take note that the healing came only after Jesus’ adversaries accused him of usurpation of the divine power to forgive. Our answer is No. Even if nobody had protested, Jesus would still have done the miraculous cure of the body and not just the spiritual healing (forgiveness of sins). After all, when God heals, he heals both body and soul. If any meaning should attach to the sequence of Jesus’ acts it is the superiority of the spiritual over the physical.
As we strive for both physical and spiritual healing, but let us prioritize the latter. “Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all the rest will fall in line. Give God his due and God will give back to you…” so goes a classical Church hymn. Let us seek healing with as much faith and hope as the paralytic of today’s Gospel had when he approached Jesus. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., J.D. D.M.