Gospel: Luke
5:17-26
One day
as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from
every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the
power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher
a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his
presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went
up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the
middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "As for
you, your sins are forgiven."
Then the
scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, "Who is this who speaks
blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Jesus knew their
thoughts and said to them in reply, "What are you thinking in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive
sins"– he said to the one who was paralyzed, "I say to you, rise,
pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He stood
up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home,
glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and,
struck with awe, they said, "We have seen incredible things today."
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Reflection:
Do you
believe that Jesus would heal you whatever sickness that you may have today?
The first that Jesus requires from you is faith and if you have faith healing
would come subsequently. However, your faith would also require you not to sit
idly and wait for the miracle to come to us.
This faith
will often times require you to go the extra mile no matter how hard to reach
that extra mile. The faith of the paralytic and those men who brought him to
the foot of Jesus is a prime example of faith that go the extra mile.
Faith
that is ever ready to endure whatever difficulties that it may encounter so
long as it can achieve its goal of reaching Jesus. Do you want something from
Jesus? Jesus requires you first to have faith. Faith that is persevering and
faith that is ever ready to go through difficulties.
This same
kind of faith was in the system of the paralytic and those who brought him to
Jesus. Through this kind of faith, they were all healed of their spiritual,
emotional and physical sickness. What sickness are you carrying right now?
Simply have faith, faith that is persevering and faith that is willing to go
the extra mile. – Marino J. Dasmarinas