Seeing is Believing, Right?
Matt. 9:1-8
What do you believe when you see?
Photo by anita shirmohamadi on Unsplash
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. - Matt. 9:1-8
This morning’s story from Matthew’s Gospel gives us another of Jesus’s signs. Jesus has healed a crippled man.
And the people are in awe, thanking God for giving such authority to a human.
Did they miss the point?
They saw and believed that God granted authority to a human. Is that what Jesus was hoping for?
Jesus said, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” That was heard by the scribes. They saw a human blaspheming God, saying he could forgive a man’s sins.
The people heard what they wanted to hear and saw what they wanted to see.
How frustrating must this have been for Jesus who showed who he was and they saw something different.
That is the subtle lesson in this story. People have preconceived notions in their heads and even showing them miracles cannot sway them, but only reaffirm what they expected to see.
Jesus knew this. He preached about it, telling the people they have eyes but refuse to see and ears but refuse to hear.
In our time, there is a distrust of those who have the power to sway opinion with words and actions. When we challenge the thinking of others, we are labeled cultists. Christians who preach to the world about Jesus are considered delusional and dangerous.
We are experiencing exactly what Jesus went through in his time.
If what we have to say in his name is contrary to the way people choose to live their lives, we are outdated and brainwashed by our beliefs.
So, we do what the first Christians did under the rule of Rome: we hide our beliefs and practices from the world.
It’s a shame, because it is easier to conform than to stand out as different.
In 2015, when the magazine Charlie Hebdo published an article against Mohammed, and the office was bombed killing twelve people, the world responded with “Je suis Charlie” meaning “I am Charlie.”
But this year, when Charlie Kirk was assassinated for challenging the progressive views of many in this country, and people began chanting the same words, “I am Charlie,” they were labeled radical extremists and evil.
We have an aversion to hearing and seeing what Jesus came to tell and show us. Why?
Is the gospel of Christ so powerful that it is frightening?
People today don’t read. They skim, and they get their opinions from influencers who want to shock and stir up fear.
We need to find a way to reach the people who won’t open a Bible or listen to a preacher.
If you can figure out how to do that, let me know. I am willing to try anything.
More to come...
Amen!