“Walking on Sunshine!” by The Rev. Robert Coats
Ash Wednesday
Mark 2:1-12 (Inclusive Bible)
Jesus came back to Capernaum after several days, and word spread that he was home. People began to gather in such great numbers that there was no longer any room for them, even around the door. While Jesus was delivering God’s word to them, some people arrived bringing a paralyzed person. The four who carried the invalid were unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd, so they began to open up the roof directly above Jesus. When they had made a hole, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed one was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sufferer, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the religious scholars were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does Jesus talk in that way? He commits blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus immediately perceived in his spirit that they reasoned this way among themselves and said to them, “Why do you harbor such thoughts? Which is easier, to say to this paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ or to say, ‘Stand up, pick up you mat and walk?’ But so you all may know that the Promised One has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Jesus then turned to the paralyzed person…”I tell you, stand up! Pick up your mat and go home!” The paralyzed person stood up, picked up the mat and walked outside in the sight of everyone. They were awestruck, and they all gave praise to God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Very nearly every theological treatise I have read regarding this section of the Gospel narrative places the focus of the story on faith, most particularly on the faith of the four friends of the paralyzed individual. However, as I read this passage it was not faith which was the paramount theme of the narrative. As I read this story, one sentence in particular stood out and became, for me, the focus of this story:
“Now some of the religious scholars were sitting there…”
As I wrote about in an earlier reflection (“I Put A Spell On You!”), Jesus had made Capernaum the base of his ministry. Jesus had left Capernaum to minister in neighboring towns and villages and as this scene opens, Jesus has returned to Capernaum. In his absence, word regarding the uniqueness of his ministry has filtered back to Capernaum and the people of the town are clamoring to see him. He has entered a private home where he is speaking to the throng of people when, suddenly and unexpectedly, a hole opens in the roof and a paralyzed individual, lying on a sleeping mat, is lowered through the roof opening into the midst of this crowd. Word of Jesus’ ability to heal sickness had reached Capernaum and the four friends of the paralyzed individual seize the opportunity of placing their friend in front of Jesus in the hope of Jesus being able to offer physical healing to the paralyzed person.
What perturbs me about this story is WHY the four friends had to go to such extreme measures for their paralyzed companion: Their way was blocked because “…the religious scholars were sitting there.” As a member of the clergy, it angers me to read these words in the gospel narrative. It angers me because, sadly, in so many instances, access to the Divine is blocked by the members of the religious-ocracy. Television evangelists who billow their own definition of sin from their electronic pulpits, all the while practicing the opposite in their off screen lives. Buying jet airplanes which they use to transport diamonds from Africa to the United States, conveniently not declaring them to either customs or the IRS. Preaching extreme hatred of same gender loving people while hiring same gender sex workers for personal gratification. Soundly proclaiming that “those who don’t work, don’t eat” while at the same time taking the Social Security money from widows. Teaching a false theology of prosperity based upon the taking of specific Scripture passages out of context, all the while building empires to themselves. While the world revolves carrying hurting, dejected, demoralized souls into deeper hurt and desperation; shamelessly, those who should be the ones helping them to find justice – whether that justice is physical, medical, financial, legal or spiritual – are, instead, “sitting there” blocking the path way to justice.
My theory, from the nuances of the Gospel narrative, combined with the historical theological view held prevalent in the particular day and time, suggests that the paralyzed individual could possibly have been suffering in a severe mental state which manifested itself physically, thus, contributing to the individual’s paralysis. The theological dictate of the day (and one which in all likelihood was applied to the individual in the story from the same religious scholars who where blocking his path to healing justice) was that an individual’s illness was a result of the individual having sinned. The person had violated religious laws thus allowing an evil spirit access to the individual and the result was physical illness. This theology is mentioned several times within the Gospels. At one point Jesus is pointedly asked, regarding the blindness of an individual, “who sinned that this man was born blind? Was it him or his parents?” The paralyzed person in the story was known in Capernaum. In a town of approximately 1,500 persons, the individual was someone who would have been known to most people. The person was also known to the religious scholars. One aspect of their jobs was to also act in a quasi-medical capacity. Again, this is also alluded to several times in the Gospels as Jesus occasionally instructs some individuals whom have been healed of physical problems to “go and show yourself to the priests.” This is why the religious scholars are so incredulous when Jesus tells the paralyzed individual, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” What the religious scholars did not understand is that their theology could have contributed to the individual’s paralysis. Guilt is a heavy burden which can become debilitating. Self blame and self hatred are monumental obstacles for anyone to overcome. I think that Jesus realized this and this is why instead of telling the individual, “You’re healed,” he tells the person that their sins are forgiven. Jesus gives the person the justice which they needed most. He releases the person from the bondage of religious oppression. The person had become what they had been told they were: a sinner who was paralyzed because of their sin. Jesus gives the person release from this mental slavery which had entrapped the person’s body.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season. There will be many of us today who make decisions considering those things which we should abandon in order to help us on our spiritual journeys towards Resurrection. Perhaps instead of giving up chocolate for Lent, we should give up apathy and begin to stand up to religious oppression. Instead of giving up our favorite food or drink for Lent, maybe it’s better that we give up prejudice, or bigotry. Maybe it’s better for us to give up homophobia then to give up eating meat. If you want to make a Lenten vow, then may your vow to be to give up a life of ease. Give up being the person who is sitting – blocking access to Divine justice – and become the person who opens the whole in the roof of society so that those who cannot find justice on their own have your support in finding Divine justice.
My prayer for your Lenten observance is that you may find yourself becoming more spiritually attuned as you give of yourself in helping to meet the needs of others.
Blessed Be!
The Rev. Robert Coats is a PCA minister with an educational background in Queer Theology and Pastoral Counseling. His weekly reflections based on the Revised Common Lectionary Readings are posted at his blog A Prophet In Pink Sneakers
