RENEWAL

"When the Lord perceived the intention of their hearts he laid his hands upon the one who had been broken by palsy and renewed him via the outpouring grace of his merciful heart!"

It is rather interesting that this second Sunday of Great Lent presents us with the account of the paralytic taken from the Gospel written by the Apostle Mark. Although the heart of the scriptures is the Gospels – God’s love letter to us, but more to the point; the heart of God is revealed to us in this first written account.

We probably know someone or perhaps have even been in such a situation that in desperate times desperate measures are taken. The most unlikely people who don’t have much spirituality going for them step out of nature – more precisely; habit! Just the other day I came across a friend who is a complete atheist and due to miserable circumstances evolving in his life; he all of the sudden is praying the Jesus prayer and supplicatory canons to the Theotokos!

This was the same deal with the people who lowered their relative through the roof of the Apostle Peter’s house in order for Jesus to lay his hands upon him. People who were desperate, people who were zealots, people who were told ‘if you follow him you break our laws’, people who by the fact of lowering the sick (unclean) into a kosher (purified) household would render anyone there impure as far as the law was concerned!

Throughout Great Lent, we are meant to take things a little serious in the sense of looking at where we are, broadening our horizons to where we want/should be and begin the process of getting there. The greatest impediment to humanity or the ego in this case is not letting go – we don’t easily let go of things, we hold grudges, we stew over things that end up making ourselves miserable and hate begins to surface. Bitterness is a vicious mistress!

It’s very hard to forgive especially if the pain is too much and utterly unbearable; rejection, betrayal, and abuse most of all scars our existence for life! The worst part of the equation is that when we run to the people who we think should understand us, we are not only let down, but are distastefully categorized!

Yet, when someone stands out from the rest, speaks up, and begins the process of reason – threat looms in the air! All the possible excuses to cast derogative judgment upon this person swiftly swing into action due to inferior motives of the status quoe! Words alone were not an imposing threat, but when action itself via extraordinary means accompanied by words; this was the greatest slap in the face for the institution of the old covenant church!

When Jesus spoke to the paralytic pronouncing: “Your sins are forgiven you!” The pharisaic party (Which is very much alive and well in the Church of today) had a complete melt down reasoning: “Who does this mere man think he is via pronouncing that which only pertains to God?” At this targeted threat from the scripturally read (the Pharisees) Jesus reveals himself publically for the first time as the one who is the authority over creation and challenges them exhorting: “Can any one of you who are mere mortals find it easier to say to this soul ‘your sins are forgiven’ or would you command him to ‘rise from your stretcher and walk home?’

Here God has revealed himself publically for the FORGIVENESS OF SINS was born as a mere child – children don’t know resentment, but crave affection at all times and eagerly interact! When the child grew up he went to the cross so that the COMPASSION OF GOD could totally manifest himself as the Loving Father who safeguards the life of his children from the tyranny of the destroyer. Many of you who are parents would do anything to protect the life of your young! Thus, the world was no longer orphaned but now fully adopted into the MERCIFUL NAME of He who reaches out and with his touch heals that which is broken!

Most of us have been hurt in one way or another and extents vary! We long to be healed or washed from the filth of other people’s affliction upon our vulnerabilities! We have probably heard the expression ‘time will heal’ – that doesn’t always happen; if anything time may numb the pain but every now and then it resurfaces and it may be accompanied with a nasty sting! Thus, there will be hurts that we will never recover from and that we will take with us when laid to rest so to speak, but the real equation here is HOW TO COPE! Some of you who are of Latin/Western origins may remember the Serenity Prayer – there reads a wonderful supplication towards the end: “Lord, help me to change that which I cannot!”

This Sunday we also commemorate a great Father of the Church St Gregory Palamas (1296-1359 AD) who was abbot of the monastery of Esphigmenou in the Greek peninsula of Athos. Thus, towards the end of his ninth homily commemorating the Apostle Mark’s account, Gregory exhorts:

“After we are healed, our mind has our body under control supporting all needs. Through it our mind brings to light the fruits and works of repentance (change of mind/heart) so that all who see them glorify God. For they see that yesterday’s publican is today’s evangelist, the persecutor an apostle, the thief a theologian. Even the man who used to live among pigs, if you please, is the son of the heavenly Father. Having planned in their hearts ways to ascend, they advanced ‘from glory to glory” progressing day by day towards excellence.