| Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new
thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the
desert.…I, I am He who blots out your transgressions
for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. |
|
| Isaiah 43:18-19, 25 |
| 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
paralyzed 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!" |
|
| Mark 2:1-12 |
| Last Friday I took a trip with two friends to the Women’s
Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls. Laurel and Ellen
are also young Presbyterian ministers. Laurel drove over from
Wyoming to Avon and met up with me, then I drove the two of
us over to Geneva where Ellen lives. On the drive east on 5 & 20
Laurel and I chatted away until she exclaimed, “Do you
see that?” “No” I said. Glancing sideways
to see what I thought would be another downed tree from all
the wind we had that night and morning, all I saw was the front
of a small country church. “That little white church” said
Laurel, “had a sign that said, “World Peace Begins
Here. All Are Welcome. Come Join Us!” We both fell into
a silent reverie. What a sign! Its confidence in its context
shook me. “Who were they?” I asked (meaning what
denomination). “I don’t know” Laurel replied.
We were quiet again. The sign’s truth had stunned us.
World peace does begin in our own hearts and actions. A small
church can be the bearer of God’s radical good news of
peace. |
| We met up with Ellen in Geneva for a wonderful afternoon
together. After a delicious lunch and a short drive to Seneca
Falls, we ended up with the museum and park to ourselves. It
was a bit sad that we were the only visitors, but being able
to talk freely amongst ourselves as we delved into women’s
rights history was wonderful! We signed up for a “tour” of
what remains of the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. It was the location
of the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. Lined
up in a row, peering through the large window where you can
view the chapel from the warmth of the museum, we listened
to our guide recount the events that led up to the Convention.
The ranger explained in a shy placid voice that what astonished
her was that the church’s belief in the first amendment
and their hospitality towards any who desired a place to meet
combined with the abolitionist preaching of the minister, had
created the environment for the Women’s Rights Movement.
These beliefs held as truths, freedom of speech, hospitality,
and abolishing slavery fostered an environment where women
were finally free to proclaim that they should have a full
and equal voice in home, church and government matters. The
ranger went on, but my mind was fixed on the great faith of
the congregation to read and hear the scriptures with new eyes
and ears. They heard the Spirit call out to them to do a new
thing and God’s word led them to challenge oppression.
The little white church’s proclamation that world peace
began with them seemed a fitting modern witness to the happenings
generations earlier at Seneca Falls. They must feel God is
ready to do a new thing through them. |
| Both churches showed forth a boldness and confidence in the
truth revealed to them. The group that arrived with the paralytic
in our text from Matthew also had a conviction that a new thing
could be done for the paralyzed man. They had Chutzpah! Their
belief led to action. Maybe they glimpsed that in Jesus, God
was about to do what the scriptures claimed in Isaiah. “I
am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not
perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers
in the desert….I am God who blots out your transgressions
for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” It’s
like they knew they were part of the way of God for the paralyzed
man. You’d have to believe it was going to be worth it
and have confidence and determination to dig a hole in a roof
with a full crowd and homeowners below. |
| We aren’t told much about the four except that they
were so persistent in getting the paralyzed man in that house
that they climbed up and dug a hole through that flat roof
with crossbeams covered with thatch and hardened mud. What
sights and sounds the people below must have heard! |
| But those who were gathered hadn’t seen anything yet.
Jesus took note of the faith of the four men. Jesus, made a
way where there was none, responding to the actions of the
four with words that startled everyone. When he saw their faith,
he said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven.” |
| Wait a minute! We usually want to wrap forgiveness in a neat
tidy package. Repent, believe, and be forgiven. This we know
is promised in the scriptures. Yet our passage begs the question
that pushes us out to a deeper faith. How does the paralyzed
man feel about his sins being forgiven? Mark isn’t interested
in telling us what the man’s sins were if he had any.
We aren’t even told if he believed in God, much less
Jesus. All we know is that he complied with Jesus’ command
and witnessed to Jesus’ authority as he got up, took
his mat and strolled right out of the crowded room. |
| Biblical scholars say the paralytic’s physical healing
was a sign that the man had been forgiven. Some say it points
to how mind and body are bound together in healing. Mark writes
that Jesus’ actions spurned questions over his authority.
The scribes rightly wondered who Jesus was to presume God’s
role in forgiveness. Mark intends for the controversies about
Jesus’ authority to lead us to the assurance that Jesus
is our Redeemer. The questions over Jesus’ authority
that will come out again and again in Mark are meant to guide
us to deeper faith in God’s work through Jesus. |
| Part of Jesus’ work included healing and forgiving
people who do not demonstrate much faith. But when it comes
right down to it, do any of us deserve forgiveness and healing
any more than the paralytic did? Both the Old and New Testaments
are full of stories of people who are healed or forgiven by
God, and who never repented. God sure is an indiscriminating
God; lavishly forgiving people simply because that is who God
is! God doesn’t play by our rules and sometimes even
dares to break our standards and forgive for God’s own
sake as our Old Testament lesson stated! Although the scriptures
promise that God will forgive the sins of the repentant, God
also lavishes grace upon others as God chooses. Until we accept
that we too are receivers of lavish forgiveness, we are not
really free to live life to its fullest and serve God with
our whole hearts. |
| What do we know about the paralytic? Only that he chose to
get up in response to Jesus words. What if instead of making
a move, lifting a finger, he was embarrassed by the actions
of the group that brought him there or consigned to the belief
that he was paralyzed for life? All we know about the man is
that when forgiveness and healing were offered to him, he didn’t
reject it. He tried it out and went on his way. With the boldness
of the four who lowered him down into the home, he accepted
Jesus’ words and they transformed his life. |
| Like the paralytic we can respond to grace and claim God’s
forgiveness and healing in our lives. "…the Son
of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin…stand up,
take your mat and go to your home." We have the opportunity
every day to personally claim God’s love for us. Then,
with the boldness of the forgiven and healed, we can claim
God’s healing intent for all and share the message of
God’s indiscriminate forgiveness as we work for God’s
justice and peace to come here and now. This surely must be
what led the little country church to proclaim “World
peace begins here” and the men and women of the Women’s
Rights Movement to believe in 1848 that God created all men
and women with equal love! |
| Amen |
| Beth E. Godfrey - February 19, 2006 |
| Central Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, New
York |
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