Coffee With God

Reflection: Mark 2:1-12

Yesterday we reflected on the healing touch of Jesus – that heals even the dreaded leprosy. With his hands extended towards the untouchable, he taught us the lesson that no one is an untouchable before God. Today we see him back home in Capernaum, probably after the days of quarantine after touching the leper and he continues his teaching and healing ministry. When he healed the leper, Jesus also addressed the issue of being rejected by the society. People would have been happier if Jesus had not questioned their age-old traditions. Today, while healing the paralysed Jesus does something similar. He is not merely addressing the physical paralysis, instead he heals the person from his interior paralysis – and tells him, “Your sins are forgiven!” His listeners are aghast of the blasphemy he uttered, because they knew God alone could forgive sins. How often do we pray for a miracle? Jesus’ miracles were always intended to reveal to the people the true face God. A paralyzed person is a dependent person. Sin paralyses a person by cutting off his relationship with God, prevents one from loving and serving one’s brothers and sisters. And he remains helpless. Remember, the paralytic in today’s gospel is totally silent. He is not asking for anything. We are not sure, if he desired for a healing. It was the initiative of his friends that brought him before Jesus. It was the solidarity of the friends, that leads Jesus to act. Along with physical help, there is faith in the hearts of those four anonymous characters. Faith is always linked to charity. If our Faith does not lead us to charity, it is not faith. There are many who behave like the paralytic, who despite their spiritual paralysis, prefer to remain silent perhaps because they have lost the sense of sin. They do not feel the need to confess their sins. They don’t feel the need for confession because there is a lack of the consciousness of sins. But Jesus repeats to the sinner, to each one of us: “I want to forgive you the sins… your sins are forgiven!” The crowd who gathers around Jesus unconsciously blocked this paralysed person from reaching up to him. Sometimes, our behaviours and attitudes in the Church or in the community are similar to that of the crowd and prevent others from participating in the life and activities of Church. We all suffer from some kind of paralysis. In spite of our own need for help, the Gospel invites us to help others to come to the Lord. Together we draw closer to Jesus, the healer.