Monday of the Second Week in Advent
(Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26)
For most of us it is easier to say to a crippled person,
“Your sins are forgiven,” than to say, “Stand up and walk.” This is so because most of us say things to
win the approval of others. No one will
know whether the crippled person’s sins are really forgiven. But if the person does not stand up, people
will think us foolish for telling the person to do so.
Jesus shows himself to be a prophet because he cares about
the truth of his words. He will not say
to a person that her sins are forgiven unless he has the authority from God to
forgive. In today’s gospel he shows that
authority by healing the cripple. He
also shows himself to be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. He has come to make firm the knees of the
weak and to make the lame leap. He has
come to save us from lies and deceit. He
has come to give us love in truth.
As that paralyzed man in the gospel cannot walk, we are
paralyzed by our social environment to say what is “politically correct,” that
is, what pleases people. In doing so, we
forsake what we truthfully believe.
Jesus heals us of this paralysis so that we not just tell the truth but
do so in love. In this way those around
us will give more than a nod of approval.
They will thank God for our presence to them.
