HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. 02.06.2020.

Readings: Amos 7:10-17; Psalm 19 and Matthew 9:1-8. 

SUPPORTIVE FAITH. 

 

We need the faith of others to help us when we are in need. That is why people often ask others to pray for them. They may find it hard to pray for themselves and, so, they ask others to pray for them. The Gospel of today present to us the faith of the friends of a paralyzed man.

 

In the Gospel periscope, “Christ came to His own city and they brought him a paralytic, lying on his bed.” Other Gospels (in Mark 2 and Luke 5) explain how the man was brought to Jesus. Because of the crowds, his friends lowered him down to Jesus through the roof. The faith of the paralyzed man’s friends did something; they brought this man to Jesus. Yet they only thought of bringing him to Jesus for the healing of his body. They certainly did not think that Jesus would forgive His sins. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Christ addressed the man’s greater problem. As bad as it is to be paralyzed, it is infinitely worse to be bound and lost in your sin. At this point, Christ noticed the reactions of the scribes, as they asked among themselves, “Who is he to forgive sin? He did what only God could do.” They were right to say only God could forgive sin, yet they were misguided in limiting God’s power and failing to recognize Christ. Knowing their thoughts, Christ said to them, “Why do you think evil in your heart? For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiving’, or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and go home’?

 

It is clear that both healing and forgiveness are impossible with man. Yet only the promise of healing could be immediately proven, because though you cannot see someone’s sin being forgiven, you can see that they are healed. This act of Christ in the Gospel is founded in Psalm 103:3 that says, “Who forgives all your iniquities and who heals all your diseases.” Since He could make good on His claim to heal the man, it gave proof of His claim to also have the authority to forgive sins. The paralytic man was instantly healed, proving that Jesus did have the power of God both to heal and forgive. The paralytic man received this double blessings through his supportive friends.

 

Dear friends in Christ, anything is possible when we have the right people to support us. We have all had times when we were carried to the Lord by the faith of others. It was the faith of our parents, and of our grandparents, that took us to the font for baptism. As babies, we had no faith of our own at that time. We begin our lives as Christians carried by the faith of others. In the course of our lives, we find ourselves still needing the faith of others to keep our own relationship with the Lord alive. When we grow in faith, we help others to do so, if otherwise, it becomes difficult for them to reach Christ. Hence, let us make effort to strengthen each other in faith. As we do so, may it bring healing and forgiveness of sins to those we pray for through Christ our Lord, Amen! Peace be with you!

 

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ