At the beginning of this fourth Paschal week, we hear two stories where paralytics are cured. The first, in Acts, by Peter and the second, in John’s Gospel, by Jesus. This, I believe, is not a mere coincidence. There is something in the stories about curing “paralysis” to which we should pay   attention.

These stories also present two other ideas that have to be taken into consideration as we search for a message. The first, which is in the story from Acts, is that the message of Jesus IS life-giving. Peter was able, through the power of the name of Jesus, bring a young girl back to life.

The second, in the story from John’s Gospel, deals with the fact that the cure took place on the Sabbath, which was forbidden by the laws of Judaism as interpreted by religious leaders. As the message from the first story, I do believe that it is important to think about this.

First, let us consider “paralysis”. Both stories have persons who are cured by the power of the Lord Jesus. Both stories are shared after Pascha.

MESSAGE: Belief in Jesus is the cure for spiritual paralysis. It seems that we humans have a tendency to be paralyzed in our efforts to truly change the way that we think. God is calling us to put on the “mind of Jesus” so that we can help make His Kingdom real right now. Too frequently we are paralyzed in our efforts to change our thinking because we are afraid of what it might mean. What would be different in our lives if we actually changed the way we think and “put on the mind of Christ?”

Spiritual paralysis, that is our reticence to actually take our faith seriously, is one of the greatest maladies that we face as humans. Why don’t more of us truly try to “put on the mind of Christ?”

We know that if we put on the mind of Christ we will have the fullness of life. His message is truly life-giving. Perhaps we get too absorbed in following the “rules” of our faith that we fail to recognize that we are called to put our faith in a Person: God, in the Person of Jesus Christ. Belief in Jesus is not about “keeping the rules”. It is about trying to “imitate His way of living.” Ask not what should I NOT DO but, what SHOULD I DO. Our Christian faith is all about making a true difference in our world by bearing witness to Jesus, our Savior.