One of the great problems that both physicians and physiologists face is when a patient really does not want to get better. Now, I am not talking about a serious illness when there is no cure, or when an indivdual is so ill that they are not responsible for their actions. Illnesses can be a perfect excuse - for rudeness, childishness, dependency. Oddly these tirades never seem to be over great injustices of unspeakable proportions, but are proclaimed when God gently goads us out of our complacency. If we look carefully at today s Gospel, Jesus words to the paralytic man fall into two levels.
Forgiveness of sin demands the response of action.
We cannot linger in weakness, we cannot fall back into the old behavior. If we do fall back into sin, the response must be the same - once more, we must stand up, pick up our pallet and walk. It is important to note that those physically healed by Jesus, afterwards began an active life of ministry. More often than not Jesus did not want the newly healed to follow Him as a traveling disciple, but to go home, go back to from where they came, and show others the great things God has done for them. Spreading the word of God, making known the greatness of God, does not always demand that one go off to a foreign mission or battle injustice on the main line, although some souls may indeed be called to this.