Gospel for Yesterday: Blessed Afterthought

The Gospel for yesterday is familiar. Four friends try to carry their paralyzed friend to Jesus and because their way is barred, they make a hole through the roof of the house where Jesus was a guest and they lower their friend to Jesus. Jesus then proceeds to heal the paralytic and he picks up his mat and walks.

I was drawn to a phrase in this passage which is spoken by Jesus after the friends had lowered the paralytic to Jesus. Jesus said, "As for you, your sins are forgiven". I find it amusing that Jesus says "As for you" as if his attention was solely focused on the spectacle of the roof being broken down by the friends (I could imagine the owner of the house panicking. My tiles! My tiles!) and the paralytic himself was an afterthought. In fact the Gospel says that Jesus noticed the faith of the friends (and not of the paralytic) who took extraordinary measures to reach Jesus. And after Jesus said that phrase, he engaged the scribes and Pharisees in an exchange on his authority to forgive and the final act of healing seems to prove Jesus' point on his authority to forgive.

It seems that in the midst of all this, the paralytic was an extra in the cast. But then again, Jesus did talk to the paralytic and did heal him. Which is more than what any of us today have ever experienced.

Reading for the Day: Balang Araw

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Isaiah 35:5 


It is possible to sing the song "Balang Araw" as a song of certainty, a song, as it were, sung by angels. 

But for those who are blind, mute and lame, and for those of us who can only hold on to faith, it is a song of great hope. 

Balang araw ang liwanag, matatanaw ng bulag 
(One day, the blind will see the light and the beauty of the morning forevermore)


Balang araw mumutawi sa bibig ng mga pipi pasasalamat at papuri, awit na maluwalhati
(One day, the mute will sing songs of glory, thanks and praise)


Balang araw tatakbo ang pilay at ang lumpo, magsasayaw sa kagalakan iindak sa katuwaan
(One day, the lame will run and dance for joy)

I remember praying over this song long ago as if I were holding God accountable for his promises. You promised Lord, and now we've learned to expect that in time, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the mute shall sing and every tear will be wiped away. Something to look forward to, indeed.