Matthew 9:1-8
The Daily Office
Note that Jesus pronounces forgiveness first, then more to prove his first point, pronounces the paralytic’s healing, almost as an after-thought. And according to Matthew, “Jesus saw their faith,” that is, the faith of those who brought the paralytic, not the poor paralyzed man himself.
It was common in that time, and perhaps in ours, to look for evidence of God’s blessing and judgment. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” the disciples asked Jesus in John’s Gospel. No doubt many wondered the same thing about this man struck down for no apparent reason. What had he done to bring such judgment on himself? I suspect that he himself had come to believe it himself, and was as tortured by guilt as his paralysis.
Thankfully, he had friends who refused to believe that this was how God acted in the world. They trusted in a God of mercy, and they trusted that Jesus acted in the name of God. Jesus responds to that trust by imploring the paralytic: “Don’t suppose that you are undeserving of God’s love. Whatever burdens of shame or guilt you have carried in your heart, I now remove them. Now that you feel so much lighter, get up and walk!”
Can others be healed through our faith? Yes! But such faith is not about having the right opinion, or straining our brains to believe “enough.” The faith through which healing comes is about presence with those who suffer, shielding them from isolation and loneliness. It is in loving community that healing is found. And the greatest healing is to know how loved you are.
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