There’s a different way to imagine what faith means than how we usually think of it today. Today, we tend to think of faith in static terms, more as a frame of mind, something we have, rather than something we do. In modern terms, having faith in God is commonly understood as a belief that God exists, while the content of our faith is a set of beliefs about God. The ancient Hebrews, however, understood faith as something more than a fixed belief.
For them, faith was an active relationship with God built on a lively belief and trust on their part that God would make good on his promises; that God would indeed do as he said he would. For that reason, their lives centered on their faith, which in turn, shaped and influenced the way they lived. In other words, the ancient Hebrews understood faith in an active sense, something they did. Their faith was a matter of daily living in a vibrant, dynamic, trusting relationship with God.
This is the background for the story of healing in today’s gospel. The story of Jesus healing the paralytic is a story about faith in an active sense. Notice that the paralytic does not ask Jesus for healing. Rather, he is brought before Jesus by his friends and remains silent. This approach reveals humility and courage on his part as a reflection of his hope and trust. The paralytic’s desperate need to be among the living once again compels him to seek the help of Jesus. And, in his compassion, Jesus meets the man where he is, in his silent need. Their encounter shows that hope, trust and compassion are the essence of faith rather than law and ritual. Their encounter shows that the relationship between believer and God is a personal relationship built on trust and energized by faith.
In plain terms, the story reveals Jesus’ divine power to heal in both a physical and a spiritual sense and welcome the sinner back into the faith community. Inspired by faith, the paralytic takes the initiative in approaching Jesus with hope for a cure, and trusts that Jesus will respond with compassion. Jesus does indeed respond with compassion and authority to heal the man’s paralysis and forgive his sins. Jesus affirms the authenticity of his faith, first by forgiving the man’s sins, and then by telling him to “rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
The lesson for us is clear. Jesus is willing to respond to us in our need, and wants us to be daring in seeking his help. Because Jesus wants a relationship with us, he does not restrict who may seek him or when. Clearly, the paralytic sought Jesus WHEN he was in need of healing, and BEFORE he was healed. Jesus is not saying to us: Go get holy, go be healed of your sins and then knock on the door. Rather, Jesus says to us: Knock on the door and I will open it. I will show you how to be holy. I will forgive you and welcome you back into full communion with me.
The encounter between Jesus and the paralytic demonstrates that we can approach Jesus no matter what our circumstances. Jesus meets us where we are. He looks for and is eager to respond to the faith and trust that each of us can muster. We can trust that Jesus will respond to our needs with compassion. That is the nature of his love. May the faith and trust of the paralytic inspire and strengthen us in our own faith and trust in Jesus that we may follow him more closely in our daily lives.
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