Love and authority

Gospel
Luke 5:17-26
We have seen incredible things today.

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Reflection
The Gospel reading has two important element. Love and authority. The first love is the four friends who carried their friend who was paralysed right to the roof and lowered it down . A noble and loving act. The second is Jesus love. The willingness to cure. The second is authority. Firstly is authority from heaven when he says your sins are forgiven. Secondly authority on earth when he told the young to get up and walk. Today we are disciples of Christ because of his love and his authority which give us hope. Do we love Jesus as much as he love us? Do we surrender to his authority?

Let us pray
Lord Jesus it is your love and authority that draw us to your side. Grant we pray we will never lose site of that love and authority now and forever.

Amen

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