February 19, 2006

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Reverend Edward P. Smith

Isaiah 43:18-25     X 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 X      Mark 2:1-12

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One of the most beautiful elements of the ministry of Jesus is that he combines the majesty of divine power with the tenderness of a loving shepherd. In this way, he brings forth miracles which do not simply dazzle, but lead to a conversion of heart and to committed lives of discipleship.

 

Given this convergence, we can only marvel at the extraordinary way that Jesus heals, calls, transforms and reveals. If we could truly understand what is being offered, we would probably use any means possible to seek and find the Lord. We would be active in our search.

 

It may be true that passivity in some cases may be a good thing, but it is not always a great virtue. The resourcefulness of the friends of the paralytic should give us pause. In finding a way to Jesus, by breaking through the roof, they show us that just sitting around and hoping something good will happen is not enough.

 

Over and over, in the Gospels, we see people who reach out to Jesus, often dramatically so. They trust that they will not be rejected. More than that, they trust that he will give them what they need. And, time after time, he does. And in doing this, he brings people to faith and gives them hope in a life that they could never have imagined.

 

These encounters with Jesus that we read in the Gospels are not just historical curiosities which we drag out every Sunday and dust off so that we might know what happened “back then”. They are events of grace, wherein God deeply unites himself with the people he loves so profoundly.

 

And events of grace do not just fade away into the mist of a largely forgotten history. They live on because Christ lives on. His love for us, his power in our lives, his healing touch and his gentle care are real, here and now. Who can be passive when confronted with this? Who would want to be?

 

We are given so many opportunities to respond to the amazing presence of Jesus. Too often, in the Gospels, those who were “astonished” by him also found him a threat, and turned away from the pure gift that was being offered.

 

Perhaps this is not so much the case now. Today, in a world that seems to demand constant astonishment through more and more so-called “intense” experiences, it might be very easy instead to fall into the danger of ignoring that which truly astonishes: God entering our world and changing it in love.

 

It is important to know that Jesus may enter our lives when we least expect. Sometimes we may simply be aware of a gentle presence near us, and enjoy being close to our divine friend. At other times, we may need to do the equivalent of tearing the roof off of a building to get to him, by the removal of all that keeps us from his presence.

 

This is not done alone. We, like the paralytic, need one another. We need the Church. We need the communion of saints. Together we can give ourselves over to the joyful task of seeking and finding Jesus, so that we, limited though we are, can bring others to the Lord God who constantly astonishes with his power and love, and tells us to pick up our mats and walk.

 ©Reverend Edward P. Smith