Faith Daily | 14 January 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 526

Almighty God,

who anointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy Spirit

and revealed him as your beloved Son:

inspire us, your children,

who are born again of water and the Spirit,

to surrender our lives to your service,

that we may rejoice to be called your children;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 2: 1-12

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. 4And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— 11‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ 12And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Meredith Nicholls

The Rabbi’s had a saying, ‘There is no sick man healed of his sickness until all his sins have been forgiven’…to the Jews a sick man was a man with whom God was angry (Barclay).

Jesus in later accounts refutes this association of sickness and sin (Jn 9:3).

But here he met the Pharisees on their own ground. Jesus follows up the forgiveness of the man’s sins (which is not a verifiable or visible thing), by healing him of his paralysis.

Jesus, after witnessing the faith of this man’s friends, responded by both healing the man and forgiving his sins.

This man’s friends showed a compassionate faith, for they were convinced that if they took their friend to Jesus that Jesus would help them. Theirs was a persistent faith that didn’t give up because of obstacles or detours, and their creative faith enabled them to think and act outside the box. They were resourceful and inventive. Their courageous faith enabled them to do what others may not have actioned and they were united in faith, a group of believing friends working together.

A wonderful teaching on faith in action.

FINAL PRAYER: Desmond Tutu

Goodness is stronger than evil;

love is stronger than hate;

light is stronger than darkness;

life is stronger than death;

victory is ours through him who loves us.

Amen