And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Then some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he then said to the paralytic-"Stand up, take your bed and go to your home." And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.
As we read this Gospel story we can observe that Jesus was dealing with not one, but two kinds of paralysis. The man who was a paralytic as well as the spiritual and social paralysis of the scribes. The paralytic had been this way all of his life, and it was thought that he was that way because of his sins. The man had become an outcast of both society and the religious establishment. And so when Jesus informed him that his sins were forgiven, the scribes were all caught up in who was doing the forgiving. To show them how serious Jesus was, he goes beyond the forgiveness of the man's sins and heals him of his paralysis, and consequently the paralysis of the scribes was let loose just a little bit.
Fortunately as modern theology has developed we are now at the place where we no longer hold to the notion that a person is sick or challenged because of their sins. Sin does exist and it can cause us paralysis in our relationship with God and others. But physical or even mental challenges are not because God is punishing us. God uses the things that happen to us and God loves us in the midst of them. But it is wise not to stereotype God as some psycho path that heaps disaster upon humankind because of sin. Humankind has brought on many of it's own issues, no question. However, God does not delight in our difficulties and miseries.
I was visiting the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire's web site one day, when I came across a really good piece of writing by Bishop Gene Robinson. He makes some really great points in his post.
Sometimes we say things about God that at first seem to cast God in a good light, but then on closer inspection, actually say something we would not mean if we thought about them. We often say them in an effort to comfort people, when we don’t know what else to say – when someone is suffering a terrible illness, has lost a job, or when a loved one has died. We are trying to say something comforting, and trying to assert that God really does have a plan, and that this somehow fits into God’s overall plan. It’s an understandable effort to push back the reality that life is sometimes, often times, chaotic, frightening, and unpredictable. We want to assert that life is not random or purposeless. And so we insist that the terrible thing that has befallen us is in fact all part of God’s plan. It’s our way of dealing with the famous question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
But we need to be careful what we say about God, because our words may come back to haunt us. The God who chooses to save the “one” on September 11, then must have chosen NOT to save the 3,000! The God who saves your child’s life from leukemia has to be the same God that chooses NOT to save MY child’s life. God is not behind the earthquake in Haiti nor the tsunami in the Far East – neither in those who died nor those who lived.
It seems possible to me – and important – that we nuance our claims about God in a way that doesn’t ultimately undermine and impugn God. Yes! God had things for this fortunate woman to do – but God also had things for all the others to do as well! Yes! God always stands ready (it is the truth about Good Friday and Easter) to bring something good out of something tragic! But that is very different than saying that God CAUSED the tragic event in the first place for some, and saved others from it.
The price we pay for having free will (one of God’s freest and best gifts to us) is that bad things will happen – not because God causes them, but because they just happen! And then God promises to be with us in those tragedies, and walks with us in a way that brings good from them. We are not marionettes on a string, thrown this way and that by a capricious God, against our will. God does not choose to save some and kill others. Life, with all its uncertainty simply happens, and God promises to be with us no matter what happens. THAT is the Good News – that we follow a Lord and Savior who will walk every step of the way with us, in good fortune and bad, in our joys and in our sorrows.
Ours is not a “bumper sticker” faith, easily reduced to a few words, but
rather a thoughtful and bold way of understanding life in the companionship of a loving and trustworthy God.
In just a few days the Church will celebrate the great Day of Pentecost. We will recall how the Holy Spirit came upon those first Apostles as they were huddled in that upper room in fear. They were not sure what they would do, or how they would do it. They had been at prayer for nine days since Jesus ascended into heaven and they were awaiting the promise of the Advocate to arrive. When the Holy Spirit finally came it woke them up, it was like a giant new surge of energy that had just switched the early Church on. As they were energized with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church began to minister and baptize people and the Church grew, they faced persecution and they began adding all kinds of people to the number of believers. Even since then, the Church has continued to confront it's own social and sometimes Spiritual paralysis. That paralysis has often caused all kinds of people including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people to experience exclusion in terms of Church membership and/or sharing in ordained ministry. There are still many churches that will not ordain women, claiming that the Bible supports the subordination of women.
Holy Spirit, come with your gracious, life giving power. Continue to change and convert the Church so that it may also transform society. We need the Holy Spirit to once again pour out her powerful, loving, motherly care so that we may be guided in new and wonderful ways of ministry, mission and radical hospitality. All of the in fighting within the Anglican Communion, the Catholic church and the religious right over the ordination of women, LGBT people and so much more, cripples the Gospel of Jesus and causes people to not even want to believe in Christ and his message of healing and reconciliation. Yet, the Holy Spirit is working through and with our struggles. God is calling people to come to the table to talk, discuss, debate and learn a new trust, understanding and appreciation of each other. Today in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he wrote: "and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you" (Eph 4: 32).
As we prepare for Pentecost, may we pray for ourselves and each other. Let our prayers be that the Church as well as all the world may take steps forward to letting the Holy Spirit heal us of our paralysis. Whether that be an addiction, personal difficulty, prejudice, a need for a job, healing or just the opportunity to talk to someone that we haven't spoken to in a long time. Whatever the situation we find ourselves in, where we find it difficult to move past where we are, let us ask the Holy Spirit to comfort us, but also move us to forgive or accept that we are forgiven. May the Church and society be healed of the paralysis of prejudice towards LGBT individuals, women, and people of different races, nationalities, challenges, religions and the like.
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Collect for Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day, Book of Common Prayer, Page 226).
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Prayer for Self Dedication, Book of Common Prayer, Page 832).
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, Page 818).
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