Road to Emmaus Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Feb 18, 2009

(Cycle B) 

First Reading – Is. 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25

Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14

Second Reading – 2 Cor. 1:18-22

Gospel Reading – Mk. 2:1-12

Up until this point in Mark’s Gospel (2:1-12), Jesus’ ministry has been an unmitigated success. People have always been astounded at what he says and does. However, now Jesus begins to receive some opposition.

The passage we will look at begins a series of five increasingly hostile situations which climax "when the Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him [Jesus], how to destroy him" (Mk. 3:6). It all begins when Jesus tells the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven" (Mk. 2:5).

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

Long ago, God said through Isaiah, "But you have burdened me with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities. I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins" (43:24b-25).

This passage from Isaiah is being spoken to those in Babylonian captivity. It comes in the larger context of his prophesies of a new and greater exodus. We hear words like, the Lord, "makes a way through the sea, a path in mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick…I will make a way in the wilderness…I give water in the wilderness…to give drink to my chosen people" (Is. 43:16, 17, 19, 20, 21).

This language is evoking imagery from the first exodus when they were led out of Egyptian captivity. If you recall, God made a way through the Red Sea (cf. Ex 14). Then upon the chariots, horses, armies and warriors of Egypt, "The waters returned and covered…all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one remained" (Ex. 14:28). God then made a way in the wilderness for them while giving them water to drink.

Within this context Isaiah talks about sins being forgiven. However, later Isaiah will prophecy about how this new and greater exodus will be delayed because of the wickedness of the people during his time.

Daniel even prophesies about how their captivity would not end for four hundred and ninety years. "Seventy weeks of years have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness..." (9:24). All of this will happen when "…an anointed one [messiah, christ] shall be cut off…" (9:26). Here too we see an emphasis on forgiving sin.

Mark and the new exodus

Mark, in the beginning of his Gospel, has already brought our attention to the fulfillment of the new and greater exodus.

Mark has already introduced John the Baptist quoting from this same section of Isaiah which talks about this forthcoming event. He is also in the wilderness at the river Jordan calling for repentance and confession of sins and administering a baptism of repentance (cf. 1:1-8).

Jesus comes to John to be baptized which thus makes Jesus an anointed one (messiah, Christ) (1:9-11). After his temptation Jesus returns talking about how, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (1:15).

(Column continues below)

During the time of the new exodus Isaiah prophesied, "Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!" (43:8). He also prophesied that the anointed one would, bring the gospel to the afflicted, proclaim liberty to captives, comfort all who mourn, etc. (cf. 61:1-4).

In Mark’s Gospel Jesus then begins to set people free by casting out demons (Mk. 1:21-28), healing them of fever (1:29-34) and cleansing lepers (1:40-45).

Now we come to this Sunday’s Gospel reading when Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic, and heals him of his infirmity. Mark is trying to tell us that the new and greater exodus has begun.

What kind of bondage has been the problem throughout salvation history? Was Egypt really the problem? Were the Babylonians really the concern? Are the Romans of the day really the issue? As bad as these things might have been, their bondage to sin throughout salvation history has been worse.

The new and greater exodus Jesus wants to bring about in our lives in an exodus out of sin. This is demonstrated in the Gospel reading. These four men, who are filled with faith in Christ, and love for their paralyzed friend, bring their friend to Jesus. They persevere in overcoming many obstacles and become pretty creative in how they bring their friend to Jesus, cutting a whole in the roof and lowering him down.

Jesus responds to the faith of the paralytic’s friends by saying, "Child, your sins are forgiven" (Mk. 2:5). The scribes amidst the crowd say to themselves, "It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone? (Mk. 2:7).

Jesus then asks them, "Which is easier, to say the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – he said to the paralytic – I says to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home" (Mk. 2:9). The man is healed immediately.

What precisely is going on here? Which is easier to say? Anybody can say the words, "your sins are forgiven," since it is not empirically verifiable whether they actually are forgiven. No one can see the forgiveness happening. Jesus then demonstrates that he the power and authority to forgive sins by immediately doing something that is empirically verifiable, the man getting up and walking.

The question is not really about which is easier to say, but about who can say it, and that what is said actually transpires. Mark is also once again emphasizing the divinity of Jesus, through his forgiving of sins.

The granting of forgiveness by God mentioned in the reading from Isaiah was the indispensible condition for Israel’s release from bondage. Jesus now inaugurates the new and greater exodus.

As Mary Healy recognizes in her commentary, The Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ words of forgiveness to the paralytic "…is probably far from what the man expected to hear. It goes to the root of a deeper paralysis, the interior crippling that comes from sin" (56).

The new and greater exodus Jesus wants to bring about in our lives in an exodus out of sin, through the waters of baptism, into the wilderness of this pilgrimage on earth where he provides for us manna from heaven, his flesh and blood in the Eucharist, during the new and greater Passover, so that we might be led into the promised land of heavenly glory.