Stand up and walk

Matthew 9:2-6New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.”

There are two things that stood out for me this time when I read this familiar text from Matthew.  First, that Jesus is delightfully playing with the scribes here, and second, that in some ways I think he's asking a trick question that I don't have an answer to.

First, the playing with the scribes: The man who comes to Jesus with his friends is paralyzed, but Jesus' first words out of his mouth aren't words to heal his physical infirmities.  And as we know all to well, when he does heal in front of the scribes and Pharisees, they are often quick to jump on who he is to do so - either by what authority - as will come up in the next verse of this text, or that he's healing on the Sabbath.  

Instead, Jesus forgives the man's sins, and the scribes jump on that as well.  Jesus of course knows what they are thinking and he, not the scribes and not the man, brings up the question of healing vs. forgiving.  And he does what appears to be the less difficult thing - to forgive - and holds the physical healing for the big "ta-da" finale!

But that leads me to the second thing that stands out for me in this reading: is Jesus asking a trick question? Is forgiving easier or is physical healing easier?  It  feels to me that Jesus is saying that forgiving is, and on most levels, my instinct would agree, the easier thing to do.  Telling someone to stand up and walk when they are paralyzed, isn't something I think of as being in my wheelhouse.

And yet, I know from personal experience that forgiveness is hard.  Really hard. And in some ways that's why I have a bit of empathy for the scribes here.  Sometimes it feels as if forgiveness is so hard that only God can do it.

And yet, Jesus shows us and tells us and leads us to see that forgiveness is the way itself.  That we can do it.  

Even though it is hard.

And forgiveness itself is part and parcel I think with healing, and that is partly why this question is such a trick question for me.  The two - "your sins are forgiven" and "stand and walk" are inexorably connected.

Forgiveness is healing.  Healing for the person being forgiven, but also, and perhaps more importantly, healing for the one doing the forgiving.

God of healing mercies, lead me to forgive just as you forgive, and help me to bask in the wholeness and healing that forgiveness leads to.  Amen.