Matthew 9:1-8 Get up, and pick up your bed, your sins are forgiven

The Healing of the Paralytic, Anonymous Netherlandish painter, 16th century Oil on panel © National Gallery of Art, Washington

Gospel Reading

Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.

Reflection on the painting

Our 16th-century Netherlandish painting by an anonymous artist depicts the paralytic after he has been healed by Jesus, as in our Gospel reading today. He got up, picked up his bed and is now walking away. In the distance we see him before his healing, lying on his makeshift mattress in front of a house. On the roof of the house we see men opening a hole, to lower a sick man through - the artist combining two healing stories here in the same painting. But most of the painting is a large depiction of the man walking along the road (depicted on the right) towards a new life. Humbled by his experience, he gazes down at the ground, a stark contrast to his previous life spent looking up at passersby. His world has been turned upside down, and his new posture reflects the profound change he has undergone. The paralytic man symbolises each one of us in our need for God's forgiveness. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus powerfully asserts his authority to forgive sins. He declares to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed, and go home; your sins are forgiven." This profound statement not only heals the man's physical ailment but also offers the spiritual renewal that only Christ can provide, highlighting the transformative power of divine mercy and grace in our own lives. What we should remember about today's story is that the paralytic man was brought to Jesus by his friends; he couldn't have reached him on his own. Without his friends, he would not have been healed. His forgiveness and healing came through the faith and efforts of others. Similarly, in our lives today, while our faith is personal, it is never meant to be private. Our faith calls us to be brought to Jesus by our friends and to recognise the need to bring others closer to him. This is the essence of the Church community: we bring people to Christ and are brought to him by our friends.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst