Section 2 Part 5: Jesus heals a paralytic (Mk 2:1-12)

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.  In today's post, we explore chapter 2:1-12 which is Jesus heals a paralytic.
Chapter 2 ushers in a series of 5 conflicts (2:1:3:6).  Mark is at pains to show how opposition of Jesus began early and grew steadily.  These stories emphasise the surprising newness and unique authority of the teaching of Jesus.  The also show the widening gap between Jesus and the scribes and the pharisees, the recognised teachers and authorities in the Jewish religion of the day.

Jesus has returned to Capernaum on the northern shore of Lake Galilee, where apparently He has made His home in the house of Simon ( 1:29).  People crowd to hear him.  Four friends bring a paralysed man on simple bed, but they cannot reach Jesus.  The friends are determined and adventurous.  They dig a hole in the mud rood and left down the stretcher, right in front of Jesus.

When He sees their faith, Jesus shocks everyone, especially the teachers of the law, when He speaks with affection and forgives the man's sins.  For the Jews only God forgives sins.  the outraged questioning of the scribes is highlighted, or framed according to the Hebrew literary fashion by the forgiveness of the man's sins before and the cure of his paralysis after.

The Christians of Mark’s time believed, as we do, that Christ, as the risen Lord continues to forgive sins in and through the present actions of the Christ.  The Jews understood forgiveness of sins more as a future good from God for which to hope.  Jesus shows this future good has already come into the world in Himself.

Jesus makes the cure of the man’s paralysis the sign of a more radical freeing from dehumanising evil and bondage, his sinfulness.  He acts with God’s own power.  The man, walking away with the stretcher under his arm, dramatically contracts with the start of the story when the same man lay helpless on the stretcher carried by his four other friends.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?
• Reflect on the keywords in this passage for they contain the substance and purpose of all the things Jesus said and did-
• Consider who might be the paralytics  in society and in what way Jesus can come to them in our times.
• Share the interior feeling of Jesus when he saw the faith of the paralytic man and his four friends.
• Consider if we were paralysed, have we got four friends that would do what it takes to get healing for us.
• Consider what changes we will make to be filled with faith in Jesus and to assist others to receive healing from Jesus in their lives.
• Reflect on a time in our lives where we have felt paralysed from our church, work, family or parish.
• What is my attitude to the gift of Reconciliation?
• Imagine you are the paralyticr. Make a list of areas in my life that need a change of heart and develop an action plan on how this change of heart might occur. (eg name an area and name one/two changes that you will implement with God's help.
• What impact does Jesus healing a paralytic have on you (2:1-12). .
• How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally?

It is important to remember that St Mark wishes us to know the person of Jesus.

What does this passage of scripture tell you about the person of Jesus?