The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins

 

'LORD, THAT I MAY SEE'

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY

Gospel

Mark 2:1-12

The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins

1.      When Jesus returned to Capernaum,

2.      word went round that he was back;

3.      and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door.

4.      He was preaching the word to them

5.      when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men,

6.      but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him,

7.      they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening,

8.      they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay.

9.      Seeing their faith,

10. Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’

11. Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ‘How can this man talk like that? He is blaspheming.

12. Who can forgive sins but God?’

13. Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking,

14. said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk”?

15. But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ 

16. he turned to the paralytic –

17. ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’

18. And the man got up,

19. picked up his stretcher at once

20. and walked out in front of everyone,

21. so that they were all astounded

22. and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

 

I am the paralytic – helpless in my humanity. I want to do so much. I can do so little, if anything at all. Jesus is the only one who can make me get up and walk. Somehow or other I must get to him. And when in front of him, I just lie there. ‘Lord, have mercy on me in my misery.’

Where can I find Jesus? I must put aside all that it is cluttering up my life. Jesus alone is the one who can make my life shine. He alone can give me the joy of living. Mary and Joseph and my friends in heaven bring me to him.

I reach out to him in the silence of my heart. I wait for him to speak. I want him alone. He is wealth. He is health. He is everything.

Take away my sins. Take away my sinfulness. Lord, Speak your healing Word. I surrender to your love. I wait for you.