YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU
Introduction
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews tells the Jewish Christians, dispersed on account of their faith, not to seek to return to the city of rest, Jerusalem and to Palestine, but rather to seek the rest and peace of living in the love of God; they are on the march to the promised land of heaven. They should not seek the “rest” of being installed securely in their home country. Likewise, we should not seek our “rest” and security in the things we have, the place we live, but be constant seekers of the rest of being at peace with God and people.
Miracles are called “signs” in the Bible. They are, like the cure of the paralytic, visible manifestations that something has happened inside the person. The paralytic can walk. He can stand up and move as a human being, as a person who is forgiven and can get up from the paralysis of sin. Could not we, too, give “signs” to the people around us by raising them above their miseries, that God is alive in us?
Heb 4:1-5,11
For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God’s goal for us, we need to be careful that we’re not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we’ll experience that state of resting. But not if we don’t have faith. Remember that God said,
Exasperated, I vowed,
“They’ll never get where they’re going,
never be able to sit down and rest.”
God made that vow, even though he’d finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it’s written, “God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,” but in this other text he says, “They’ll never be able to sit down and rest.”
So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.
Mk 2:1-12
After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.” Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . .” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.” And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, stunned—and then praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
Prayer
God, our Father,
we are your people,
at times paralyzed by our fears
and our fascination with sin.
Let your Son speak among us
his mighty words of forgiveness and courage,
to raise us above ourselves,
above our cowardice and compromises,
that we may go resolutely
the way to you and to one another
by the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reflection:
13 January 2023
Hebrews 4:1-5,11
The promise of rest
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews warns his readers not to miss the opportunity of entering into God’s rest. The term “rest” given by God is the focal theme of today’s first reading. God’s promise of rest for His people is long-lasting, and it has been renewed in different ages. By embracing the faith we have taken the first step toward making the promised rest our own. It was offered to the Israelites of old, but they missed it through disobedience and unbelief.
The promise of “rest” given to the Israelites is “good news” for them. The Promised Land was seen as the place of rest that God provided for his people. But, the Israelites in the desert had failed to use the opportunity when they had it. See the example of Moses himself and many others who doubted the promise of God could not enter the land of Canaan.
The comparison in the Letter to the Hebrews is between the Israelites and the Christians. The Israelites doubted the word of God and did not enter a place of rest which, for them, was the Promised Land. But God’s promise cannot remain unfulfilled, so it now applies to us Christians, who are invited to enter into a very different Promised Land of unalterable and unending happiness – God’s eternal rest! In the past, many did not benefit from God’s promise because, they had closed their ears to his message.
Our goal in life is to experience that “eternal place of rest” face to face with our loving God. We shall always remember that the promise of rest is not something about the future, but it is about the now. Let us be open to the promise of God that we shall remain in his rest, always united with him. Do we spend our time in ways that are creative and nurturing for both body and spirit?