“When Jesus returned to Capemaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay.”
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Friday 17th January 2025 – MARK 2:1-12.
So, there’s this story about a little girl who remained calm during a bumpy flight while other adults were afraid. After the plane had safely landed at the airport, when asked how she remained calm, she replied, “My father is the pilot, and he’s taking me home”.
Little children have blind faith, hope, trust and confidence in their parents, especially the father.
Hence, when there’s no longer any food left at home to eat and the parents step out of the house, the children are confident that they would return with something for them to have their meal.
That is why a man would fervently toil from dawn till dusk both under the rain and in the sun to provide daily bread for the family.
These men can’t afford to get back home empty handed to starving children.
The parents have such a resolve not to let the children starve and the children have utmost faith in their parents that they would be fed.
The parents’ kind of resolve for their children is the kind the Almighty God also has for us His children, only this time, it is a much more higher one. One that guaranteed and can never fail.
God requires of us to be totally submissive and dependent on Him, trusting Him blindly as did the children to their parents and He has resolved to come through for us whenever we call on Him.
Such is the kind of faith had the friends of the paralytic in today’ teaching.
Do we by any chance think that Christ wasn’t aware of their presence on the roof and their mission?
As God, he has already seen them and known about their quest even before they departed the house with the paralytic.
Christ would have as well just pronounced healing on the man while they were departing home without having them performing such theatrics and causing that quantum of destruction to someone else’s property.
However, if such were the case how would those present there and by extension we too, get to know and believe in God’s resolve to come through for us whenever we reach out to Him.
And most importantly, Christ Jesus had the opportunity to first heal the man of his spiritual infirmity when he said to him, “Your sins are forgiven.”
This spiritual infirmity is at the root of the man’s condition, hence, Jesus Christ opted to heal the man both body and soul.
Dear friend, we must have faith and keep persisting.
Folks, have a fantastic day and a pleasant weekend.
#SAINT_ANTHONY! #Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo
17th January 2025.