More than forgiven. Cured as well.

       I am constantly amazed by the one-upmanship of Jesus in the seemingly constant deridement of the Temple elite, the Pharisees and so on. I feel like I'd love to be the one who gives the hoighty-toighty their comeuppance. Of course I never have the presence of mind, I fumfer over words and most of all, I am no way equal to Jesus. That is, with me there is plenty of blame and I make more than my share of mistakes. I can't be calling out anyone but myself.

         That is the point though that I'd love to drive home. No one except Jesus has the right to be making such judgments or chastising people - for anything.  Legally? Go for it. Arrest, charge, trial, lock'm up. Spiritually? You'd better think at least twice. Yet so many seem to have no issue at all promoting their own spin, agenda or rules on others.  While I am not a tremendous fan of Pope Francis, I am heartened and have hope when he himself says ( of gay people ), "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?" That says it, whom am I to judge?

         As much as I would love to be the one that shows up today's equivalent of the pharisees and say 'forgive? I'll go you one further and cure the man of leprosy', I know that I have to take a step back and be more self reflective of my own wounds and errors and far less concerned where others are on their journey to wholeness and holiness. 

       Just my random thoughts and hopefully a source of self reflection and growth regarding the human side of life for today.

Luke 5:12-26

 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesusstretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, 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 said to the one who was paralysed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’