Thursday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 2, 2020

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 paralytic lying 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 sins are 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 your stretcher, 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.

St. Mark presents his account of this miracle with more detail, which helps us to understand the miracle better, but also an important difference in how St. Matthew and St. Mark understood the public life of Jesus.  Matthew, as we have seen, spends much time recounting the teachings of the Lord Jesus, while giving very basic accounts of his miracles, of which the present reading is a good example.  For Matthew, the overall purpose of the Lord’s miracles was to underline and validate his teachings.  As a Jew writing for Jews, this is a very reasonable way to show Jesus as the Son of God: the Jews understood God first and foremost as the Lawgiver, who formed the Jews by making covenants with their ancestors and giving them the Law.  Mark, on the other hand, is writing for Gentiles, and the Jewish Law means nothing to them, while the performance of powerful works impressed them very much, as we should expect.  Mark, therefore, presents the most important teachings of the Lord, but hardly any parables and nothing like the Sermon on the Mount of which Matthew gives a full account.  Almighty God, in his wonderful providence, gives us four Gospels, each helping us to learn and to love our Savior, each in its own way.  For Mark’s account of this miracle, see his Gospel, 2, 1-12.

“People brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.”  This action is itself a prayer.  It is a prayer of intercession.  When we pray, whether individually or in groups, for another person, we intercede with God on that person’s behalf.  We do not often see this kind of prayer in the Old Testament, notable exceptions being the times Moses begged God to spare the people after they had committed some egregious sin.  But the New Testament is overflows with intercession.  

“When Jesus saw their faith.”  In Matthew’s recounting of Jesus quieting the storm, Jesus rebukes the Apostles for being fearful men: Why are you fearful men, you of little faith?  Fear drives out faith, if we let it, but faith drives out fear, if we pray for it.  Jesus sees faith here.  The paralyzed man’s friends are confident in the Lord’s willingness and power to cure him.  Real faith is bold and encourages bold actions, especially on behalf of others.

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”  No one present would have expected to hear these words, least of all the paralyzed man.  Not only is this not the plain reason why he was brought to Jesus, but as the scribes said, only God can forgive sins.  What on earth is happening here?  Even a modern reader, unacquainted with this story, would find these words of Jesus jarring.  His statement seems such a non sequitur.  If we think about it, though, we may recall how Jesus spoke about prayer and expectations, during his Sermon on the Mount: “What man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will give him a stone? . . .  If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7, 9-11).  God gives not only what we really need and what our hearts truly desire, but even more than that, what will save us.  The friends of the man ask for something good for him.  Jesus offers him something even greater besides, something he could not have imagined: freedom from sin.  

Now, the scribes recognize who Jesus is claiming to be, but they discount this and are left with one possibility: “He is blaspheming.”  If only God can forgive sins, then either Jesus is claiming to be God, or he is blaspheming and, according to the Law, ought to be stoned.  Jesus does not leave anyone in doubt as to the truth.  He asks the scribes, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?”  Jesus is telling them that his miracles of healing signify the miracle of the forgiveness of sins.  He is also challenging them.  God would not give the power to perform miracles to one who blasphemed him.  If they deny the power to forgive  sins, which Jesus claims to exercise, then they must deny the miracles of healing that they are witnessing with their own eyes.

“ ‘Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.’  He rose and went home.”  Such simple words, and such enormous consequences.  Jesus makes it perfectly clear that he is God, the God who heals bodies and souls.  God, who walks openly among men.  “When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.”  But the thought of God walking among them is too much for these simple folks to think about and explain in human words.  The best they can do is to praise God “who had given such authority to men”.  And certainly the Father had given such authority to his Son.  Remarkable too is that the Son gives this authority to purely human men called to serve at his altar, priests, who hear the confessions of folks every day and are able to absolve people of their sins.