Healing the Paralytic
Today is the Second Sunday of the Blessed month of Paone, and on this day the Church reads Luke 5:17-26. In these verses we read about a profound encounter between a group of friends who carry a paralyzed man on a mat, seeking Jesus’ healing touch. Since the house Jesus was in was crowded, and they were not able to get through, they lowered the paralyzed man in through the roof of the House. Jesus looked at the paralyzed man and Said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (Lk 5:20) and instructed him to rise, take up his bed, and to go home (v. 24). Those that saw this miracle were amazed.
While this Gospel focuses on the paralyzed man, it is important to note the significance of the four men that helped carry the paralytic. If it wasn’t for their determination and unwavering faith, then the interaction between the paralyzed man and Jesus might have never happened. Likewise, as Christians we are His disciples, we too are called to support and carry one another in faith and love.
It is also interesting to see how Jesus interacted with the paralytic. Jesus first forgave the paralytic’s sins and then instructed him to walk. Here the apostle St. Luke emphasizes that Jesus’ pronouncement of forgiveness before physical healing highlights the priority of spiritual healing. As St. Cyril of Alexandria says, “Or He may mean this; I must heal thy soul before I heal thy body: for if this be not done, by obtaining strength to walk, thou dost but sin the more: and even though thou hast not asked for this, yet I as God see the maladies of the soul, which brought upon thee this disease” (St. Cyril Commentary of Luke).
This reading reveals to us the depth of Jesus’ love and His ability to bring restoration to both body and soul. It teaches us the importance of faith, the power of forgiveness, and the profound impact we can have when we come together to support one another. Let us be inspired to carry the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends, seek the forgiveness of our sins, and trust in the healing touch of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may we be instruments of His love and healing in a world yearning for His transformative power.
Further Reading:
https://www.ecatholic2000.com/cyril/untitled-16.shtml#_Toc385688061