And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--he then said to the paralytic--”Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. - Matthew 9:1-8
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So I have been struggling with these verses on and off for about six months now. What follows is a series of sketches where I’ve tried to make sense of this from a few different perspectives, and to arrange those sketches in a way that might help me, or any one else who stumbles across this sketchbook, to be able to see the landscape more clearly. I have a feeling my vision is still too limited to be able to take in this landscape, but here it is for what it’s worth.
I do not know why the NRSV opts for “carrying” when the Greek seems clearly to be more intentional, more closely connected in meaning with “to offer” or “to bring” than “to haul.” The Greek even follows the verb with the prepositional phrase “to him.” The act is purposeful and it is directed at Jesus. Now Jesus’ healing ministry has only just begun (the leper, the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law and “many” who showed up thereafter, and the Garadene demoniacs), but apparently the news is spreading. So here we have a small act, a lone act - though not carried out alone - in Jesus’ home town. There are no crowds waiting like they had been outside of Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. Had they heard of the pigs running off the cliff and chose to keep their distance?
We are left with one of two (if not both) baffling questions: “Why are these people alone?” or” Why is there no one else beside them?”
Is it with either of these two questions that we are directed then (by the text) to see as Jesus? For though the text does not call much attention to it, it is there, wedged between Jesus and forgiveness: faith. “When Jesus saw their faith...” This is the second time that faith has been viewed communally in Matthew, though the first time was negative (“Ye of little faith”) and directed against the disciples during the storm at sea (Mat. 8:23). (One might even see the first mention of faith as directed negatively against all of Israel in Mat. 8:10, such that "the disciples" would be synechdochal for all Israel).
So we find faith here when we lacked it just a moment before at sea. We find faith walking with a body that must depend, that must trust; and a body that reminds us of our own fragility - and even mortality - in its brokenness and dependence, for it is a body that if left alone would perish. And we find this faith right after it had been absent on the seas, consumed or lost in fear of our fragility, our mortality. On the sea we cried out from this fear of mortality, pleading for the Miraculous One to make it go away, to shield us from it. But here, here the vulnerability is not hidden, it is lifted up, carried on a mat through city streets, and there is no crowd to block our view or distract us.
So between Jesus and forgiveness, there is the acceptance of human vulnerability and the bringing, the offering of that humanity to Jesus. And Jesus saw their faith...
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