[6th Sunday After Pentecost]
The words that are recorded by the Evangelists give us much insight into not only the acts accomplished by our Lord, but also to the responses of those who observed His acts.
In today’s Gospel (Mat 9:1-8) we hear of that group of men who bring their paralyzed friend before Jesus so that He might heal him.
As Orthodox Christians, we always highlight in this Gospel account our Lord’s words offered to effect this healing, Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you!”
The Lord does not always focus on our sins in His granting healing to those He gives such gifts. But one can make a convincing argument that when He brings focus on our sins, He does so for more than ‘just’ the particular instance at hand.
With respect to the responses of those observing this healing, we find them scandalized at hearing our Lord’s words. This Man blasphemes!
Consider that response for just a moment. Stop and ponder it before proceeding.
Jesus makes the point in several instances that WE are to be forgiving. If we are to follow His instructions of be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect then we must become more God-like, and that includes being forgiving. When the scribes “say within themselves” that This Man blasphemes, they deny the obligation for us, God’s servants, to be forgiving.
And consider for just another moment the implications of this with respect to God. Forgiveness has two components. The one relates to the person who is sinned against, and the other to the person who commits the sin. Forgiveness as an action requires both components. I must be repentant and truly seek to be forgiven, and the one I have wronged must be willing to forgive me. If either is missing, the forgiveness is incomplete.
Jesus, looking at today’s paralytic indicates His (God’s) willingness to forgive. This immediately carries with it the man’s repentance, for the forgiveness is from God Himself.
If there is any blasphemy present in today’s account, it is within the judgmentalism of those who accuse Jesus of wrong-doing by being forgiving. He who instructs us to live according to that same standard, to turn the other cheek, from He Who took blows and spittings from His servants to show us that very way as His followers.
The final element to look at is the response of those who stood by onlooking. St. Matthew records Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Had God really given such power to men? The short answer is that indeed, He had, but not in the way that the onlookers perceived it. The “power” the crowds were impressed by was the power to tell a paralytic to walk, and then to see him do so. Our Lord granted this power to His Apostles when He sent them on their Apostolic journeys. But this “power” had not been given to just any men. The power belongs to the One whom the Jews felt had been blasphemed. He dispensed the power, for although they still refused to see it, He (Jesus) is the One from Whom all authority comes.
The crowds who followed Jesus then still regarded Him as a mere man. The Scribes regarded Him as a malefactor.
The proper response of the crowd to the witnessing of this miracle (and our proper response as well) SHOULD be, “Let us give glory to God for exercising His power amongst men to show them (us) the path to salvation.”
