27th September 2009 - "Take heart, your sins are forgiven"

Colin Hull - St Mary's
Matthew 9.1-8

Introduction

Advances in modern medicine in the last 100 years have shown the” how and the why” many disorders and diseases occur. Researchers have been uncovering how derangements of metabolism and faulty genetic sequences can lead to disabling illnesses like Muscular Dystrophe. Diseases may be explainable even if they remain incurable until new medicines are developed. But at the time of Jesus there was very different attitude disease. Many saw disease as a kind of divine judgement, on an individual or even a whole family. So someone born blind may be seen as some punishment of his parents. An onset of paralysis or leprosy may have been seen as a punishment for sin.

Hence the sick person was not only burdened with their sickness but also burdened with a lack of acceptance and accusing fingers. “What has he/she done to deserve that?”The individual may have felt cut off from God as well as their neighbours. Maybe he can think of some reasons for such a punishment with great resignation. Or maybe he is wondering why God is treating him so.

It is against that background of belief that we should hear the story of the paralysed man brought to Jesus. A man brought by his friends. We know nothing about him, how long he has been suffering, or what he feels like. Is he resigned, is he hopeful? Was it his idea to come to be brought to Jesus, or was it his friends?

The story is also told in different ways in the gospels of Mark and Luke, writing to meet the needs of those they were writing for. In each case Jesus pronounces that the man’s sins are forgiven. There is opposition to Jesus saying this but then Jesus proves his authority to pronounce forgiveness by a physical healing as well.

Matthew’s distinctive emphasis

It has long been established that the gospel of Matthew was written for a mainly Jewish-Christian congregation. Although in early writings it is attributed to the apostle Levi/Matthew it is now widely held to have been written about 80-90 AD by some other Jewish Christian concerned with defending faith in Jesus as a fulfilment of all that had been promised in the Old Testament. No doubt it draws on the much earlier testimony of Matthew and the other eyewitness but it does have this distinctive Jewish-Christian emphasis. The point Mt wants to show is that Jesus has authority from God because He IS the Messiah they had been waiting for, promised by the prophets of old.

In the story of the paralytic man there are those who think Jesus is teaching blasphemy, abusing God’s name, and this charge is later brought against Jesus at his trial before the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. But this story demonstrates that Jesus was no blasphemer, put to death for corrupting the name of God. By healing the man Jesus showed his power to forgive was genuine. After all if the man had not been forgiven he could not have been healed. In effect Jesus says “So you don’t believe I have this authority? Well see for yourself. If I heal this man it will prove it”. It is also of significance that the story is followed by the call of Levi (Mt) the tax collector. A man considered to be a “sinner” because of his employment by the Roman occupiers.

There are two other unique emphases in Matthew’s version:

a) "Take heart, your sins are forgiven"

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that Jesus pronounces forgiveness to the man, but only Matthew has the words“Take heart..”

This is good news for him. He need no longer be burdened with the feelings of shame and guilt, for what ever people think of him, or even what he thinks of himself. If he has been burdened by this shame for years it is now over. Many people carry around conscious or unconscious feelings about past mistakes and failures. Feelings of guilt can mask themselves but be expressed instead as anger towards others, low self esteem, jealousy, hatred of things that remind them of their guilt, and often defensive towards accusations of any kind. It can lead to depression, or self harming or even some forms of physical illness.

It is the good news of the gospel of Jesus that whatever we feel guilty about can be forgiven when it has sincerely been confessed. It is also the great message of the meaning of the death of Jesus on the cross. The words “Father, forgive them they know not what they do” were meant for those who crucified Him but they have taken on an eternal meaning for the whole world.The forgiveness of Jesus should be a revolution in the way we see ourselves and the revelation that despite whatever we have done we are still lovable. In God’s eyes the past is set aside and a newness of life is held out to us.

So--Take heart, your sins are forgiven in the faith of Jesus who loves you.

b) The people's response

The other unique emphasis in the Matthew account is the response of the crowd.

Mark writes:

This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Luke writes:

²⁶Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

But Matthew writes:

⁸When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

It was no longer about God forgiving through people making sacrifices. A man could say “your sins are forgiven” in the name of God. And later Jesus passes the power to forgive to Simon Peter. After Simon had confessed Jesus us the Messiah Jesus says to him..

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”

And in John’s gospel after the resurrection Jesus says to all the disciples:

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins they are forgiven...”

And through that apostolic link we have a good tradition that a priest is given authority to speak in God’s name to those who feel the burden of guilt, so they may hear from the priest those words that will be medicine to them.

Absolution in the liturgy of worship

In many of our services we are reminded near the beginning of our need to reflect upon our tendency to go astray and then lead in a formal declaration of our guiltiness. Sometimes we may actually come to worship feeling bad about something already. But after the moment of formal confession we may hear from the priest the words of forgiveness, whether in prayer book language or something more modern.

“..have mercy upon You”

In that moment that even as the priest says it to us all, he says it to you personally. Whenever you hear the words, hear the words said to You as if it is meant for specially for You in that moment. Take it as the word of Christ and as the medicine you need. Take it as the relief from the burden of how you may feel about yourself.

Absolution for the individual in the Confession/Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Reformers of the 15^th C did not like the abuses into which some of the RC practice of Confession and Absolution had got into. They insisted that a priest was not necessary for forgiveness to take place. But later a more nuanced catholic tradition returned and is still present in the Church of England.

For some people the general confession in public is not helpful enough. There may be a need to hear individually from a priest the words of Absolution and Forgiveness after a specific private confession. When a particular burden of guilt is said aloud to the priest in private conversation.

I was talking to Coralie about this. She told me that in her experience most often such confession may arise just as part of talk with someone about what is bothering them, after which she would say a prayer. Maybe for you the general confession in worship is sufficient to remove from you burdens of guilt and shame over things you feel you have done wrong. Or maybe there might be a need from time to time to hear personally for yourself a prayer of forgiveness when the priest can say the words of comfort and reconciliation that you need. But whatever way you need it, here those words from Jesus “your sins are forgiven”

Here the words to you and be free!

Pass it on!

And if you have known the value of those words and know the value of that freedom from sin and guilt, be sure to pass it on those who need it this week, wherever you may go. The need of confession and gift of forgiveness is something every one needs.

“Take heart, your sins are forgiven”

Prayers

Christ the Forgiver of sins

Let us know within ourselves the fullness of the truth of your forgiveness.

To lay before you the burden of the ways we are sometimes ashamed.

Ashamed for not being as we ought to be as your disciples

Ashamed for how we offended those near to us

Ashamed we have neglected the call to do some things we ought to have done.

But let your word come fresh to us.

“Take heart, your sins are forgiven”

We pray for all who minister as priests and pastoral counsellors

Give them wisdom to lead the burdened to new hope

We pray at this time especially for Coralie and Diane as they lead the parishes of the team. Help them not to become too overburdened with the tasks ahead.

We remember Alan taking up his new role and responsibilities as Bp of Thetford. For the new tasks and challenges he faces.

Also remembering his wife Pippa settling into a new home and community. Give hear guidance for where she may continue to do her ministry.

We pray for our local hospitals and residential care homes

The staff and those in their care

We remember too local GP surgeries, doctors and nursing staff in the community.

Be at the heart of all the healing work, for minds and bodies.

For those facing sudden and unexpected illness and those who bear the burden of long term incapacity.

We also hold before you all who work in then local Pharmaceutical Industry and the manufacture and distribution of medicines.

For the researchers into new treatments and testing of new ideas and procedures.

We commend to you also our own work and activities to come in the week ahead.

That we may go as ambassadors of your saving grace.

Merciful Lord Jesus

Accept all these prayers

For the sake of your name and sacrifice on the cross

A-men