Sorry I didn't blog yesterday but I found what you guys wrote beautiful. By the way, I wrote the blog on Thursday not Steve - I don't know exactly what I pressed differently... I have many thoughts on today's reading. Those 4 friends must have loved the man on the stretcher very much to have worked so hard to get him to Jesus. Second, I don't remember Jesus forgiving someone's sins, in other bible stories, before healing them. Was this man's sins more pressing than his affliction? At first reading it struck me as Jesus was connecting this man's sins with the cause for his condition but after reading it again I believe it was spoken so more for the Pharisees than the man himself. What are your thoughts?
I am struck that what moved Jesus to action was the faith of the friends - not the faith of the man on the stretcher!! I see their action of bringing him to Jesus as a physical act of prayer. They knew Jesus could heal and by bringing him were praying for it. So I am thinking about my word prayers as a spark in this - what I am moved to include in prayers is the starting point of action prayers Jesus may be calling me to. Another devotion I read this morning says the Christian faith is not a word game but a transformed way of seeing and doing life. I find that helpful in thinking about this story.
Oh, Arlene. How you helped me today! I read three interpretations and one said, "palsy." one said "paraplegic," and one said, "paralytic." My love of words got me all ferhuddled. Your notion of "physical act of prayer" took me back on track, showed me where the importance is, and made me think of how many "word games" I play. I talk a great game. My doing lags way behind. Thank you.
Sorry I didn't blog yesterday but I found what you guys wrote beautiful. By the way, I wrote the blog on Thursday not Steve - I don't know exactly what I pressed differently...
ReplyDeleteI have many thoughts on today's reading. Those 4 friends must have loved the man on the stretcher very much to have worked so hard to get him to Jesus. Second, I don't remember Jesus forgiving someone's sins, in other bible stories, before healing them. Was this man's sins more pressing than his affliction? At first reading it struck me as Jesus was connecting this man's sins with the cause for his condition but after reading it again I believe it was spoken so more for the Pharisees than the man himself. What are your thoughts?
I am struck that what moved Jesus to action was the faith of the friends - not the faith of the man on the stretcher!! I see their action of bringing him to Jesus as a physical act of prayer. They knew Jesus could heal and by bringing him were praying for it. So I am thinking about my word prayers as a spark in this - what I am moved to include in prayers is the starting point of action prayers Jesus may be calling me to.
ReplyDeleteAnother devotion I read this morning says the Christian faith is not a word game but a transformed way of seeing and doing life. I find that helpful in thinking about this story.
Oh, Arlene. How you helped me today! I read three interpretations and one said, "palsy." one said "paraplegic," and one said, "paralytic." My love of words got me all ferhuddled. Your notion of "physical act of prayer" took me back on track, showed me where the importance is, and made me think of how many "word games" I play. I talk a great game. My doing lags way behind. Thank you.
ReplyDelete