Dear Brothers and Sisters. Everywhere Christ went whether it be the temple, a synagogue, wilderness or in today's Gospel reading, a house, he was constantly teaching, was always preaching. What did He preach to them? How to have a real and proper faith in God. Not faith in a person, place, or a thing, but in God. Kind of like, I am here to teach the proper faith in God and this is the faith that I will be looking for, when I come back. Do you remember his words, “When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the Earth?” He will be looking for that faith that He taught them or as we heard today’s reading, “As he preached the word to them.”
It was a common understanding in those days that if someone was suffering, it was because they had done some sort of sin and God was angry at them for sinning. And for that reason, he had made them suffer with different ailments and sickness, such as the one we heard today. But this is not always the case. You might ask, “Father Nikita, isn’t the reason that I am suffering is because of my sins. Or if only I didn’t commit, do this sin, or that one, I wouldn’t be suffering. Listen, we do not dare to judge the reason God allows this upon man. What we do know is, it is done for our benefit so that if we are heading in the wrong direction, we change our way and go in the right direction. Whenever someone does that, immediately God is glorified.
But also, when someone has not committed a sin and suffers, but bears it with patience and humility and has depended on God's mercy to help him through the trial. When that happens, God is also glorified. This gives us great encouragement that God not only has the power to forgive sin, but also gives us the strength to bare our sufferings in humility.
Today’s reading is a prime example of why we need Jesus Christ and the Church in our lives. Too many people these days are emboldened and even dare to say, “What will Christ or his church do for me?” Where Christ is, that's where the church is– and where the church is, that is where you will find Christ. Let us keep that in mind as we heard about a church today. This little church had five members. Four healthy members and one sick. So sick that he couldn’t even walk. The only way he can move from one place to another, is if the other members put him on a piece of wood and took him somewhere. Multitudes were claiming that Jesus is the Christ and at that moment, they heard He was in a house, not to far away from them. Listen to how this little church helps the member who is ill. The four men bring the paralytic to Jesus, but there is no room. They are not the only ones that need Jesus to guide and help them. They open the roof where Jesus was and let down the sick man. Now when Jesus saw their faith, not the paralytic, but the four men, He said something that only the power of God can do, “Your sins are forgiven you.” Without this power, sin will not be forgiven. A wonderful gift for this sick man, as he was still laying on his bed.
At that time, there were scribes that were sitting there and heard Jesus say, “Son your sins are forgiven you.” They began reasoning in their hearts and saying to themselves, “Why does this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” The scriptures give us the proper understanding on what humans can see and the depth of what God can see. God can look right into our hearts and know what we are thinking, feeling, what we intend to do and the most scariest part if we love to sin and not repent, who we truly are. We will sometimes be able to trick our fellow man, but we will never be able to trick God. He tells them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?” The scribes needed proof of the forgiveness of sins and Christ gives them the proof of His authority and power over sins. The paralytic is paralyzed on account of his sins. If Christ forgives his sins, then he should be able to walk. He says, “Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you or Arise, take up your bed and walk.” They both mean the same thing, sin is forgiven. But that you may know that I am who the scriptures say I am, and do have the power to forgive sins. He tells the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” The proof is in the Pudding so to speak (just not on lent), forgiveness of sins was made manifest, something the scribes could not refute. They do not refute that Christ did miracles even to this present day, but they do not see that He is God. What they believe is, “Give God the glory, we know that this man is a sinner.”
Christ brings many to Himself by what they know. For instance, Apostles through fish. Magi through a star. Shepherds through a cave they were familiar with and so on. The scribes were experts on interpreting the law and they were correct in saying, “Who can for give sins except God?” That is a one hundred percent true and correct statement. Humans do not have the power to forgive sin. Christ brings them to Himself through something they ought to recognize, but they had a veil that covered their eyes and blinded them. They were unable to see Christ.
Let us not be paralyzed like the scribes who could not see Christ even though He was right in front of them. The rest of this lent, let us put in the effort like the four friends that brought there sick friend to the Church, Who the head is Christ. Helping each member like a little church and preparing for Christ to come and dwell with us! And if it be the will of Christ, we to will be blessed and the same thing will be said about us. “All were amazed and glorified Christ, saying, “We never saw anything like this!!!”