Sermon for 11 October 2015: Bishop Munib Younan preaches at Redeemer Church

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan

The Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan

and the Holy Land

The President of the Lutheran World Federation

Sermon preached at Lutheran Church ofthe Redeemer, Jerusalem

Joint Arabic-English service with YAGM commissioning

11 October 2015

+++

Mark 2: 1-12

“Jesus heals a paralytic”

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

+++

Bishop of the ELCJHL, Munib Younan

I am especially grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you this morning after the very difficult events of the past weeks. Once again, our country is in distress. Once again our homes, our families, and our futures are threatened by violence, hatred, and death. Our land and our people are in need of healing.

For this reason, the story of the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by four friends is an excellent text for us to consider. This man could not come to Jesus of his own power, and the crowd in the house where Jesus was staying was so large that no one could come through the front door. 

Therefore the man’s four friends made a hole in the roof and lowered the paralyzed man down until he was in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he healed the man, but not in the way the friends expected. Jesus looked at the man and said “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

The scribes who witnessed this event were shocked and asked the question, “Why does this man speak this way? Who can forgive sins apart from God?”

I think we are asking this same question today, along with the scribes. Why does this man speak this way? When the four men dug that hole in the roof and lowered their friend through it, they did it because they wanted physical healing. They came because they heard how he had cast out unclean spirits. They came because they heard he had healed Simon’s mother-in-law. They came because Jesus had cleansed the leper.

But when Jesus saw the faith of these four friends, and when he looked upon the face of the paralytic man, he did not heal his physical ailments. Instead, he healed his spiritual ailment.

Bishop Munib Younan preaching at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem
11 October 2015

We know that Jesus had the power to heal the man’s body. We know very well it would have been easy for him to heal such a man. But Jesus told him, in front of everyone, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

This is a powerful lesson for us today, when our world is weighed down with the sin of materialism. This is a powerful lesson when so many worship the idol of prosperity. This is a powerful lesson when our land is burdened with the ongoing, systemic evil of occupation and oppression—and when as a result we find ourselves stained with the sin of hatred for our neighbor.

In such a time, we may challenge Jesus along with the scribes, saying “Is this the only healing you can offer? Do we really need forgiveness of sins, when we cannot even walk?”

But in fact this is exactly what the world needs. We need a spiritual healing today. Many of us when we become sick will say “Lord, if you heal me I will do this and this and this. If you heal me, I will love my neighbor. If you heal me, I will forgive those who have wronged me. If you heal me, I will speak out against injustice.” We make promises, as if Jesus is one who bargains with us for better behavior. We make promises, as if only physical healing were in God’s hands, but spiritual health is our own choice and under our own control.

But in fact, spiritual healing is much more precious and much more difficult to obtain. Yes, we need a political solution to this conflict. But it is also true that only spiritual wholeness will ultimately heal our lives, our communities, and our country.

For this reason, Jesus answered the scribes who questioned him, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’?

And then, to show them that he did indeed have authority to heal both spiritually and physically, Jesus said to the paralytic— “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.”

My dear congregation, on this morning when our minds are filled with terrible images, and when our hearts and our bodies are in such need of healing, I have several messages for you.

First of all, I know very well that in these difficult times, you may feel exactly like the paralyzed man. It is true that the checkpoints, the barriers, and the army vehicles restrict our movements. It is true that guns, knives, and unjust policies keep us from walking freely.

But our need for healing is more than merely physical. What paralyzes us as a people and as a country is the sin of hatred for the Other. Physical healing will not come without the spiritual. Freedom of the body will not come without liberation of the spirit. Therefore, we need the faith of those four who knew that Jesus alone could provide the healing they needed. We need the faith of those four who would not give up, who even dug a hole in the roof in order to reach the Great Healer.

We need to experience the power of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to know the power of forgiveness of sin.

We need the power of increased faith.

We need the new life, new hope, and clean hearts that only Jesus can give.

Secondly, my brothers and sisters, when I read the story of the paralyzed man I realize that is not only one man, but our entire land that is paralyzed. Our land and our people are lying on a mat outside the house where Jesus is staying. The difference between our situation and the situation of the man in this Gospel story is we don’t have even four friends to carry us to Jesus. We can find no one who will carry us to the front door, much less dig us a hole through the roof.

The world knows we cannot walk. They have seen the occupation, the closure of Jerusalem, and the violence we are experiencing every day. They know, and until now they do nothing. Our country and our people need someone who will not only pick us up but who will even take off the roof to bring us to a place of healing.

Who are these four friends who would dare to do such a thing?

The politicians have failed to find a just solution. They have failed to end the occupation and give freedom to both peoples in this land.

The international media is biased, and if they say anything about us at all, they merely look at the paralyzed man and give him beautiful words. They offer him official statements to make his time lying on the mat more comfortable.

But a paralyzed man does not need these words of honey. He doesn’t need statements or letters of support. He needs wholeness, from the inside out. He needs the freedom to get up and walk.

Who then will be our faithful friends today?

I believe it is the church who must carry the paralyzed man to Jesus. I believe it is the church alone who has the faith, the strength, and the courage to carry a paralyzed country to the roof and place it at Jesus’ feet.

You, my sisters and brothers in Christ, have this faith. You have this power. You can carry the country by your prayers.

Tell God, “Lord, we are tired of our ailment. We are tired of hatred and oppression.”

Tell Jesus, “Lord, this situation paralyzes us. It paralyzes our spirituality and our morals. We cannot even walk!”

Together, we must tell the Great Healer:

“Heal us from oppression. Heal us from hatred. Heal us from violence. Heal us from depression. Forgive us our sins, and bring us new hope and new life, as you gave new hope to the paralyzed man.”

I ask you, members of this church today, commit yourselves to prayer, for we know Jesus said in the ninth chapter of Mark that some unclean spirits can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.

Thirdly, I want to address the young adult volunteers who have come to be with us for one year. You have been here only a short time, and while many of us are questioning Jesus today, you may be asking different questions. You have come here in the midst of a very difficult situation, and you may be asking, “Can we really do this?”

The answer is yes, you can. You have the power to be friend to us. You also have the power to carry us in faith to the feet of Jesus. But I want to tell you some very important things. 

Bishop Munib Younan commissioning and blessing the 2015-16 YAGM Volunteers

First of all, you must listen before you speak.

You must see before you judge.

And I ask you not to think that you will bring a political solution to this conflict. Don’t even try it!

What you can do, the way you can be our faithful friend, is by joining us in our daily lives. Try to understand what is like for us to live this paralyzed life.

Pray with us. Sing with us. Mourn with us. Rejoice with us. If you do this, then you will be one of the four who brought the man to Jesus. Then you will be our friend.

This is what we need from you who are here as Young Adults in Global Mission. This is what we need from all of you here today, and from our partners and friends from all over the world. We need the whole church to see that we are a paralyzed people.

We need our sisters and brothers in Christ to have enough faith that even if the front door is blocked, even if the windows are locked, even if systems and policies and political pressure and the international media are standing in the way, the church can make a way out of no way. The church, by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the strength that comes through prayer, can even make a hole in the roof for us. Then perhaps we will finally hear the words we have needed for so long:

“Dear people of Palestine and Israel, take up your mat and walk.”

May the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.