10-Dec-18

Gospel LK 5:17-26
One day as Jesus was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law,
who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem,
were sitting there,
and the power of the Lord was with him for healing.
And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
"As for you, your sins are forgiven."
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves,
"Who is this who speaks blasphemies?
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply,
"What are you thinking in your hearts?
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 said to the one who was paralyzed,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He stood up immediately before them,
picked up what he had been lying on,
and went home, glorifying God.
Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God,
and, struck with awe, they said,
"We have seen incredible things today."
Reflection:
The Pharisees and teachers of the law, the doubting Thomases of Jesus' day, arrived from every village as Jesus was teaching.
They were there to keep a close eye on Jesus' every word; hoping they would catch Him saying or doing something in violation of the religious law.
"........and the power of the Lord was with him for healing."
"And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed;
they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence.
But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd,
they went up on the roof
and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles
into the middle in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said,
"As for you, your sins are forgiven."
When Jesus saw the faith of the man on the stretcher and that of his friends, He forgave the sins of the paralyzed man.
As believers in the power of God's mercy there is no greater gift we can give our friends than to bring them into "His presence."
Jesus is our pathway to God's love and forgiveness.
When we make a friend, be a friend and bring our friend to Christ, then the doubting Thomases of our day will see the change in the lives of those we bring to Jesus. They too will be "struck with awe," and say,
"We have seen incredible things today."
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Matthew: 5:16