Speech By Tiffany George
Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit one true God Amen.
Today’s Lenten Reading was taken from the book of St. Mark Chapter two verses one through twelve. It tells the well-known story of a paralytic who, with the help of his four friends, was lowered through the roof of a home in Capernaum to be healed by Jesus. First of all, this story took place in Capernaum a city located on the shore of Galilee which, according Mathew 4:13, Jesus made his home after leaving Nazareth. Seated at the forefront of Jesus were, as Mark describes them “scribes” and as Luke says “Pharisees and doctors of law.” These people who were sitting so close to Jesus were scrutinizing his every word, trying to find fault with what he said and what he did. Jesus was not standing up in front of an audience and publicly spreading the word. Instead, he was casually sitting down and discussing it with these Pharisees, and their conversation is what had attracted this great multitude.
Now the story of the paralytic is one that has gained reputable status in the Orthodox Church. It is taught to children various age groups. Its timeless simplicity has fascinated many and its morals of faith and determination live on. In these twelve short verses, Mark tells the story of a man suffering from paralysis who was carried by his four friends to Jesus, only to be deterred by the large multitude that had gathered in front of the house where Jesus was preaching. Determined to not be defeated by the crowd, the four men carried their friend to the roof of the house, made a hole in the roof, and gently lowered the ailing man to Jesus.
Jesus astounded by their great faith, heals the man saying, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” In this passage, there are three main relationships, the relationship between Jesus and the four men, Jesus and the paralytic, and Jesus and the Pharisees. Within these three connections lie the points of perseverance and humility, the relationship between physical and spiritual well being, and Jesus’s ability to surpass the limitations of a normal human being.
Firstly there is the relationship between Jesus and the four men who carried the paralytic. It is obvious, by their determination to bring this man to Jesus, that these four men came willingly, and not on someone else’s accord but brought with the passion and faith. What makes these four men amazing is the way they were undeterred by the huge roadblock that surrounded the house, they simply found another way. They loved their ailing friend, they were persistent, they were creative, and they believed. A major point about the four men was their humility and determination to literally bring this person to God. In the same way we too should be adamant when helping another person on their path towards Christ. Like the obstruction faced by the four men, bringing a person to Jesus is filled with many obstacles but possessing humility and faith throughout the process will make the burden much lighter. This is the essence of the first relationship.
Now there is the connection between Jesus and the paralytic. People of this era believed that sickness was a punishment for sin. When this man came to Jesus, it may seem that he came because of his physical handicap. But, Jesus was able to see that he had come primarily because of his underlying sin. Jesus in this passage did not blatantly say “you are healed” but instead, in verse five he chooses to say “son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus shows that he wants to heal people in a holistic way, that it, by incorporating holiness. He believed that the mind should also be clean and by attacking the problem at the heart, all other branches would be taken care of as well. Christ shows us in this passage how important the healing of the mind is.
This story also shows God’s willingness to forgive a person for anything they may have done. This should give us the confidence to approach God with a solemn and true heart for healing. In the same way, Jesus gives us an example of how we should behave with our fellow men. We like Christ, should be willing to forgive not only our friends, but also our enemies for anything.
The last relationship I would like to speak about is, the relationship between Jesus and the Pharisees. Firstly, these Pharisees were present to find fault with Jesus and his teaching. When he told the man that his sins were forgiven, the Pharisees were outraged and questioned within themselves why Jesus speaks such blasphemy, after all, no one can forgive sin other than God. He then challenges the Pharisees by asking them which is easier, to tell a man his sins are forgiven or to tell a paralytic to take up their bed and walk. The trick here is both are easy to say, but both are equally beyond the abilities of a normal human being. When Jesus chose to tell the man to take up his bed and walk, he showed the Pharisees and all the bystanders that he was able to heal both the physical and spiritual ailments of the man. Jesus wanted to make a visual difference for the people and make a paralytic walk. He believed that if he simply told the man his sins were forgiven and left him as a paralytic, the people would doubt whether he has remised the person’s sins at all. By choosing this, he proved that he was able to cure both the physical and spiritual side of the paralytic.
These three relationships have each taught us something different about Christ, who he was, what he believed, and also, how to live our lives like Christ. From Jesus and the four men we learn about perseverance, humility, and the difficult task of bringing a friend to God; from Jesus and the paralytic we see the important relationship between a spiritual and physical well-being and the effectiveness of curing holistically. Lastly, the relationship between Jesus and the Pharisees shows us how Jesus surpassed the capabilities of the average person, showing that he was not a normal being but the Son of God. I encourage you all to take these messages which Christ has given us to heart and use them to better our personal relationships with Christ, our fellow brethren, and ourselves.
Thank you.
