Courage, child!

I’ve been really sad the last few days after I found out that a very good man, my uncle Bob, is in the last few days of his life.  Although Bob isn’t aware of his influence on my life, Jesus knows—and I’m sure his reward will be great!

In case you’ve forgotten the gospel account (Matthew 9, 1-8):

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.

And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."

At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 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 then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He rose and went home.

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

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“Courage child, your sins are forgiven. . . .”

I think it’s interesting that this is the first response that Jesus makes. Jesus, being fully human, understood entirely the terrible position of the paralytic - the burden he was for those around him, and the sense of futility and frustration that the man himself felt.  So it is that Jesus knows the burden Uncle Bob has carried with his Alzheimer’s. 

And yet, His first response was, "Courage . . . your sins are forgiven." In this, Jesus is showing us where to look. He is pointing out what is the most important thing. No in matter what state we find ourselves in life, it’s good to recall that this is not all there is.

In fact, this life—beautiful, precious, and wonderful as it can be—is but the prelude, the great overture to the life to come. Should anything in this life get in the way of joining that future life, our priority should be to remove the obstacle.

Jesus does heal the paralytic. But more importantly, He points out to the man that the things of this world do not and should not come first.  Whatever it is we lack here, we will have there - full measure and overflowing. God loves us and is not ignorant of our present difficulties. He is there to help us bear them, and more important, to constantly point the way home - to show us always and forever that eternity is with us now and is our true home.