Becoming Whole
For many years, the Church has frequently been compared to a hospital, a place where one is made whole. This topic arose in one of our formation discussions during the past two weeks and may offer insights as we prepare for Mthr. Madeleine Hill’s arrival in July. In the first of our coffee-hour sessions two weeks ago, we discussed the story of the healing of the paralytic, found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 9, verses 1–8.
This short passage begins with Jesus entering his own town and people bringing to him a paralytic lying on a pallet. According to the gospel, Jesus observes the faith of these people and tells the paralytic, “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven.” This statement may seem to be a non-sequitur to an unspoken request for physical healing, but our Lord knew that genuine healing begins with spiritual wholeness. Even more noteworthy, Jesus’ grammar reflects a middle voice, suggesting the forgiveness He referred to isn’t a kind of dispensation from Him, but at least in part has emerged from the faith of the paralytic’s supporters.
Jesus provides physical healing to the paralytic, but only after a confrontation with nearby scribes regarding the authority to forgive sins. As the paralytic’s body is made whole along with his spirit, the importance of the community in bringing forgiveness to each other, and with it a greater intimacy with the divine, is made clear. After the healing, the final sentence of the passage asserts the crowd “glorified God, who gave such authority (also translated as power) to human beings.”
Our parish and the companions of the paralytic have something in common as we are also faced with a severe illness. In our case, it is a world stricken by cynicism, distrust and a temptation to focus on ourselves at the expense of our neighbors. However, our Lord has shown us a better way. It may seem to many that only a miraculous healing will suffice, but that is exactly where the power of the Holy Spirit can help us. Through faith and prayer, we have the authority and power to forgive others and make healing possible through the love of God.
Most recently, the Holy Spirit has helped us discern a call to our new permanent priest. Our congregation is being made whole once again. During this process, we have been blessed by many members of our parish who, through prayer, diligence, and faith have helped us move beyond tensions, disappointments and uncertainty. My hope is that any related shortcomings have been forgiven, thereby bringing us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.
As Melinda Burrows, our People’s Warden, reminded us in last week’s message, we are a young congregation. Our mission as a church body is still evolving, growing and maturing. As we await the arrival of Mthr. Hill and the many gifts she will bring to our parish, we can rejoice in the ceaseless work of the Holy Spirit and the ongoing strength and healing we are able to give to each other each day.
Jonathan Adams
Treasurer and Vestry Liaison for Finance