Because Jesus sees into the heart, he knows well that what
burdens the paralyzed man in today’s Gospel most of all. It is the burden of
his shame. For he knows the painful truth: his paralysis is the direct
consequence of sin (maybe the sin of his parents, but probably his own sin.) He
knows it; everybody in the town knows it, all decent Jews in Jesus’ day
believed it. Sin leaves its mark; sin causes sickness. And so we can imagine he
was reluctant, embarrassed to have four buddies carry him to Jesus, for he is
sure that he deserves to be paralyzed. It’s probably his fault. Case closed. Dead
end. Most truly
human, most truly divine, Jesus our Lord comes to this dead end and says simply,
"Child, your sins are
forgiven" and then heals him. Jesus unburdens.
Trusting in the prayers of Saint Hilary who so ardently
defended Jesus’ true divinity, let us beg Jesus, our Lord, God with us, to forgive
us our sins.
