Take Heart - October 5
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123; PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127]; 2 Kings 22:1-13; 1 Cor. 11:2,17-22; Matt. 9:1-8
Today’s Reflection
And just then some people were carrying a paralysed 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”? –Matthew 9: 2-5
Yesterday in our Romans Bible study group, we were looking at the second half of Romans chapter 2 and spent most of our time looking at verses that have to do with what justifies a person in the eyes of God, as well as the misguided sense of self-righteousness that some believers can get drawn into feeling sometimes. In verses 17-23, Paul was writing of Jews whose sense of righteousness and closeness to God came through feeling that they were faithfully following the law (and, of course, that they were more faithful in that than others): “you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God.” But then Paul begins to pose a series of questions that shine a light on the hypocrisy that inevitably follows when people set themselves up as justified because of what they do instead of what God has done: “you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself?” This series of rhetorical questions leads Paul to make this observation about the impact of such self-righteousness and hypocrisy: “You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2: 23-24).
We talked about what it means for the name of God to be blasphemed. Some of the other translations we looked at beyond this one (NRSV) phrased it “the name of God is frowned upon because of you” or “the name of God is despised because of you.” This is a powerful indictment, and one that we in the church today need to spend time thinking on. Our study group spent a few minutes talking about the many, many people out there who have been burned by the church or church-people. All “the nones and the dones,” those who don’t identify as people of faith or who feel so burned by religion that they are “done” with the church and hope never to return.
Just as much as in Paul’s time and as in Jesus’ time, self-righteousness and hypocrisy—people who think they have their acts together in the eyes of God and make others feel bad that they don’t—make people not want to be a part of the community of Christ. As I said to the others in the group yesterday, this is one of the main challenges we face in the church today. How do we help people to feel welcome? How do we help people to feel not judged but instead accepted and affirmed? How do we let people know that church, and especially our church, is a place where they will be encouraged in their faith rather than discouraged in their faith?
In today’s passage from Matthew 9, Jesus himself was accused of blaspheming the name of God. What did Jesus do that caused him to be accused of blasphemy? Jesus said this to someone who came seeking healing: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9: 2). The people who thought this was blasphemous were Pharisees whose whole sense of self and relationship to God came through feeling like they were crossing all their ‘t’s and dotting all their ‘i’s when it came to following the law—and they were paying very close attention to Jesus to try to catch him not following the law. Knowing what they were thinking and saying amongst themselves, Jesus responded: “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.’”
It’s interesting to think about why it is that Jesus tells this person to “Take heart… your sins are forgiven” and also “Stand up and walk.” What is the relationship between being assured of forgiveness (absolution) and being able to stand up and walk? My theory is that once we are reassured of our right relationship with God through forgiveness, we feel renewed hope and confidence to be able “walk in love, as God loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). I experienced a reminder of this on Sunday during our 11:15 service. The content of the Gospel reading and the sermon hit close to home for me, as I am sure it did for many. I was feeling a bit worn down, and perhaps too self-conscious in that moment, leading to a keen sense of my own imperfection—all while sitting up there in my alb and stole, under the bright lights, about to celebrate communion. As I watched Katherine setting the table for communion, I noticed there was a piece of yellow paper sticking out of the altar book—I wondered what it was, as I hadn’t noticed it there at the 9:00 service.
When I walked over to take my place behind the table to prepare to celebrate the Eucharist, I noticed that Katherine had placed the piece of yellow paper on the fair linen, in front of the altar book. And when I looked down, I saw that it was a note written by one of the children of the congregation (I think I know who). In red crayon were these words: “God is on your side. So are we.” I was stunned because, as I whispered to Katherine in that moment, “These are just the words I needed to hear.” Through the kindness and perceptiveness of a child, I could “take heart” and receive the reassurance I needed in that moment to be able to stand up and walk in love—and to share that love with those gathered by sharing the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation. Thanks be to God.
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
When have you received an unexpected reminder of God’s love and forgiveness? What did it mean to you in that moment? How does being reassured of your forgiveness allow you to stand up and walk?
Daily Challenge
Think of someone who could use a word of reassurance or encouragement and find a way to let them know, maybe in a way that that person would not expect.