Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

A paralytic man is brought before Jesus by his friends after likely hearing the rumours of a miracle worker visiting Capernaum. When they present the paralytic to Jesus, after painstakingly removing the roof of the house, it is their faith that Jesus responds to. Jesus upends the expectations of the gathered crowd by declaring the paralytic man’s sins to be forgiven, rather than directly healing his affliction.

The onlooking scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy. This is because within the Jewish belief, forgiveness of sin is an authority belonging only to God, and was only achieved through the temple with appropriate personal atonement and sacrifice. Jesus’ actions are radical through their circumvention of the established system of sacrifice that the Temple employed for the cleansing of sins. By forgiving sins in the name of God directly without any atonement from the paralytic, Jesus was challenging their authority.

Jesus rebukes the criticism of the scribes and demonstrates His divine nature by the healing of the external symptoms, with the miraculous healing of the paralytic as visible proof of His authority as the Son of God by asserting: “so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Today let this Gospel be a reminder to live out our faith boldly, seeking the love and mercy of God, and allowing our faith to lead those around us into the loving embrace of Christ.