THURSDAY, February 26
At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he said to the paralytic — “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.”
— Mark 2:8-11
The story of the paralyzed man who is lowered through the roof by his four friends, then forgiven and healed by Jesus, is one of my favorite things to visualize in my prayer time. At this point in Mark, Jesus’ ministry has begun to attract large crowds, so the house where he is teaching is packed with people. The four friends who carry the paralyzed man to the house have so much faith in Jesus’ healing powers that they are not daunted by the crowd. They accomplish a near-impossible feat to get him into the presence of this man they have heard of—a man who performs miracles.
But Jesus doesn’t heal the paralyzed man right away. He first forgives the man’s sins. The teachers of the Law who see this think to themselves that this is blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. I am sure they were astonished when Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking. He explains his actions so that they “may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Then, Jesus heals the paralyzed man. All the people packed into the house see Jesus tell the man to get up, take his mat and walk. This is another wonderful moment to visualize in our prayer time. How would we feel if we were to witness such a thing take place? A man the townspeople know to be paralyzed suddenly stands and walks in full view of everyone. They cannot dismiss it as trickery. This is a miracle.
The suffering of the world is so immense that many turn away from it, thinking they do not have the power to help. Episcopal Relief & Development, along with other nonprofit organizations like it, is a witness to miracles. It may seem unrealistic to believe that enough donations can be gathered and enough programs launched to make a real difference in a world broken by injustice, but when we work together with Christ, we draw from an infinite well of miraculous healing.
Reflect: A question to ask God in your prayer life: Why did Jesus forgive the man’s sins in addition to healing him?
This Lenten Meditation can be found at Episcopal Relief and Development
