From the pulpit
Bringing our friends to Christ
Today's Gospel presents one of Jesus' most famous miracles, recorded in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. We are told that Jesus was in Capernaum, preaching in a house that was so crowded there was not even room at the door.
Then we are introduced to a paralytic man, someone who was unable to move or help himself. At that time, paralysis was often associated with shame, with the common belief that it was a punishment from God for sin committed by the person or their parents.
But this man was blessed with four friends who genuinely cared for him. Rather than walking past him or judging him, they decided to take him to the one person who could truly help him: Christ.
When they arrived at the house, however, they found it completely full. There was no way to enter through the door. Many of us might have reached that point and said, "At least we tried." But these friends were persistent. They were determined that no obstacle would prevent their friend from meeting Christ.
They went up to the roof, opened it and lowered the paralytic down into the house before Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
The friends had brought him to Christ seeking physical healing, yet Jesus first addressed the deeper problem: his spiritual healing.
Notice also the word Jesus used to address him: "Son." Christ restored him to a place of dignity and belonging. Regardless of his past or how the world viewed him, Christ was not ashamed of him. He accepted him as His son.
Christ is like a physician who treats the source of an illness before its symptoms. The sin was the root, while the paralysis was the symptom. The man had come seeking physical healing, but Christ first offered him spiritual healing.
The scribes questioned Jesus' authority to forgive sins. In response, Jesus said to the paralytic:
"Rise, take up your bed and walk."
Immediately, the man arose, took up his bed and went out in the presence of everyone.
St Cyril of Alexandria reminds us that the forgiveness of sins is the greater of the two healings, because it is something only God can accomplish. The physical paralysis was temporary, but spiritual healing has eternal significance.
There is also something beautiful about the man carrying his bed. The very thing that once represented his suffering became a testimony of what Christ had done for him. He could return to his neighbourhood carrying the evidence of where he had been and where he was now.
This is why the Church loves the stories of repentant saints. St Moses the Black is a great example. His life reminds us that, regardless of our past or our sins, there is nothing that the Lord cannot forgive, restore and transform.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of this story is that the paralytic never says a word. St Mark tells us that Jesus healed him when "He saw their faith", the faith of his friends.
The Church has always taught us the importance of interceding for one another. We pray for the sick, the departed and those who, during certain seasons of their lives, may be unable to carry their own faith. Christ accepts our prayers on their behalf. Sometimes He heals not only because of their own faith, but through the prayers and intercessions of those around them.
There are three important lessons we can learn from these four friends.
1. Do not look away
The first lesson is that the friends saw the paralytic and refused to simply walk away.
The natural reaction might have been to look at him with pity and continue on. They could have said, "This is not my problem. I have too much on my plate."
Instead, their hearts were filled with compassion and they wanted to do something for their friend.
There is a beautiful contrast in the Church's readings. In the account of the five loaves and two fish, the disciples see the hungry crowds and tell Jesus to "send them away." Yet these four friends do the opposite. They refuse to send their friend away. They bring him to Christ.
Let us learn from them. Let us never look away from the hardships of those around us. Even when we feel that we have our own brokenness, responsibilities and struggles to deal with, let us continue to look upon others with compassion.
Perhaps, when God sees the compassion we have for those around us, He will also have compassion on us.
2. Be persistent in bringing others to Christ
The second lesson is the persistence of these friends.
They did not allow an obstacle to decide their outcome. The house was full, but they found another way. Their determination was not for money, success or something of this world. Their determination was for their friend to meet Christ.
How often do we show that same persistence in our spiritual lives?
We can be extremely persistent when pursuing a career, a business goal or something we want physically. We keep pushing until we achieve it.
But do we show the same persistence in prayer? Do we say, "Lord, I want to pray, and I will not give up simply because life is busy"?
The one thing we should never take "no" for is our desire to meet Christ and to bring others to Him.
We say in our Church that the goal of everything we do is to be united with Christ. Every time we pray, the goal is to be united with Christ. Every time we come to the Liturgy and partake of the Eucharist, we receive the Body and Blood with the goal of being united with Christ.
So let us never allow obstacles to get in the way of that goal.
A pastor once reflected on this passage, saying that faith is full of inventions. The house was full and the crowd blocked the way, but faith found a way to bring the paralysed man before Christ.
If ordinary methods cannot bring someone to Jesus, perhaps we need to find extraordinary ones.
The presence of Jesus gave these four friends victorious courage. And the Lord is among us now. We encounter Him in the Eucharist every Sunday. We encounter Him in the Church.
So let us be eager to bring our friends to Christ.
3. The greatest gift we can give is Christ
The third lesson is that these friends understood that the greatest gift they could give their friend was Christ.
They could have brought him food. They could have sat with him and talked. These would have been good things, but they would have been temporary.
What they gave him was eternal. They brought him to Christ.
We are blessed in our Church with beautiful communities, families and friendships. But let our friendships not exist only for social reasons or enjoyment. Let our friendships also be a journey towards Christ.
We can present our friends to Christ in many ways.
We can pray for them. It is beautiful to see that so many of the prayers placed on the altar are not prayers for ourselves, but prayers for our friends and loved ones. Through prayer, we bring our friends before Christ.
We can also share a message of hope. Sometimes, like the paralytic, people are unable to reach Christ themselves and need someone to carry them.
We can share a verse, tell someone about an experience we have had with the Lord, or simply invite them to participate in Church life.
We are blessed to have men's and women's gatherings, mothers' and fathers' meetings and many other opportunities for people to encounter Christ. Let us use these opportunities to bring our friends closer to Him.
Recently, someone shared an idea about a group of Coptic doctors who meet for lunch each week. They already enjoyed spending time together, but he suggested that they also share a short passage from the Bible during their gatherings. It might only take two or five minutes, but it would give them an opportunity to share something about the Lord.
What a beautiful desire to have for our friendships and families: that we would share something about God with those around us.
A testimony of God's work
The Gospel ends with a beautiful response from those who witnessed the miracle. We are told that they were amazed and glorified God, saying:
"We never saw anything like this."
When we encounter Christ, when we bring others to Christ and when we serve, our eyes are opened to see things that we might never see anywhere else.
One of the greatest gifts of service is that it allows us to see the amazing work of God. When we serve, we become co-workers with Him, and our eyes are opened to the mysterious and beautiful ways in which God works.
Let us therefore be inspired by these four friends.
The gift of friendship is not simply for social pleasure or enjoyment. The true goal of our friendships is that we lead one another to Christ.
Let us not be turned away by obstacles. Let us be persistent in pursuing our heavenly goals just as we are persistent in pursuing our earthly ones.
Let us be persistent in our efforts to meet Christ and persistent in our efforts to bring Christ to our families and friends.
There is no greater gift we can give another person than to present them to Christ.
Glory be to God forever and ever. Amen.