Isaiah 43:18-25
Psalm 41
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Mark 2:1-12
Year B
I.N.I. (In the name of Jesus)
Forgiving is hard. For Jesus, incredible as it may sound, healing a man who was paralyzed was a walk in the park compared to forgiving sins.
For the ones looking on in the scene, who heard with their own ears this itinerant rabbi throwing forgiveness around like it was his and not God's to give, they had to wonder what the paralyzed man had done to become paralyzed. To be less than physically fit meant to be less than perfect in the eyes of God. Jesus, just to be clear, effected both physical healing and psychic and spiritual forgiveness all in one fell swoop. Forgiveness was his to give! New life, a new way, an alternate path, was his mission.
No longer were paralytics, lepers, or those gripped by demons to be stuck in their places of confinement. Instead they were to find release, a glimpse of the kingdom, knowing and sharing good news instead of bad.
Forgiving is hard. We tend to hold grudges close, and wear memories of hurt and unresolved conflicts as armor against further abuse, and in so doing also ward off a receptivity to love.
There is the story of two shopkeepers, who had
shops across the street from each other, and whatever one did, the other would try to match and if possible, exceed. One night, an angel of the Lord came to the first shopkeeper and said, "The Lord has sent me to you with the promise that you may have one wish, that, no matter how extravagant, will be granted to you. There is only one catch: whatever you receive, your rival shopkeeper will receive twofold. What is your wish?' The first shopkeeper, thinking of his rival, responded: "My wish is that you would strike me blind in one eye.
Martin Luther King, Jr. described acting out of hatred against those who hate as something like a big dump pile, or a spiral that just becomes larger as the actions escalate. In his vision for non-violence, King described a soul forces that uses the biblical concept of agape, redemptive love as the only alternative to hatred. He says
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.
- both quotes excerpted from "Forgiveness," from Practicing our Faith, p 136.
Enter again yourselves into the stream of God's mercy and redemption, where forgiveness is poured out like an overflowing river.
[GUIDED IMAGERY]
Imagine yourself confined like the paralytic for years, stuck in bed, staring at walls closed in on you. You hear reports of the healer Jesus who has come to your town, which is his home. Friends come to take you to see Jesus. Who are they? How does their action affect you? They are persistent to bring you face to face with Jesus. The crowd stands in your way, and now that you are outside and seeing so many, what do they say to you? How are they looking at you? Your friends are so doggedly intent on getting inside that they devise a scheme to drop you through the roof, and drop you through. Now you are getting attention in Jesus' house, after all those years stuck in your own home. Jesus sees your friends' faith, directs his attention to you, and says that your sins are forgiven. What do those words mean to you? How does this pronouncement speak to your condition?
Some of the religious leaders mutter that what just happened is blasphemy. They wonder how this rabbi could throw around forgiveness like it was his to give, and not God's alone! What is going on in your mind?
Jesus stands up to the leaders who were talking amongst themselves. He questions their questioning. He speaks of the authority to forgive sins as belonging to the Son of Man, and again, looking directly at you, says "stand up, take your mat and go home." Your strength is restored to your entire body, and you are able to stand up, and walk in front of the entire crowd! How do you feel about that?
Friends, this is the desire and action of God, to be known above all by forgiveness and love. This is the "new thing" described by Isaiah, the "yes" pumped up by Paul, the persistent inclination of Jesus in his ministry through to the end of his life.
This way of God is our joy and privilege to share. Forgiveness is hard, but it is rewarding. Loving those who hate takes a lot of courage, but it is the way to redemption.
Take some time to identify what it will mean to release some of the ways you have been confined to your own grudges and being paralyzed. Hear these words as from Jesus himself-daughter, son, your sins are forgiven.
Practice this outlook and this way of living with others, knowing the risks and the rewards.
See if we can mirror and model this way in our sharing of peace, our receiving bread and wine as Christ's forgiveness.
And look to gather a few friends to intervene for others who are stuck, and celebrate the persistence of Lutheran Social Services and Anne Marie House, ministries that we support that serve those in great need out of Christ's love.
I.N.I.
The Rev. Timothy J. Keyl, Pastor
Christ the King Lutheran Church
