The passage from the Gospel of Luke in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today ends with the observation of the people around Jesus that "We have seen strange things today". The unexpected is to be expected on our spiritual journey. The Prophet Isaiah paints images of the changes that will occur as those faithful to the Covenant between God and Israel return to Jerusalem and their faith traditions after the exile in Babylon. It is the promise of that new day which is entirely different from our past experience. Does this really happen in our lives? The possibility for a new viewpoint is always imminent. The ways of God are presented in our study and observation for us to model. The psalmist praises the love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace which is the experience of those who attend to the life inspired by the will of God. The passage in Luke's Gospel shows Jesus recognition of the faith which accompanied the action of the friends of the paralyzed man. What was their expectation of the encounter with Jesus? The proclamation that the sins of the man are forgiven had more impact in a society that linked disease and physical abnormality to punishment for sin. The freedom of this man and the opportunity for his new day to be different are tied to forgiveness. The giving and receiving of forgiveness will initiate new relationships for us. A friend tells of a person who has adopted a policy of forgetting yesterday and all links it contains which bring frustration, disappointment and fear.
The new day where we begin again with people as if they have no paralyzing past with us brings "strange things" into our life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment