Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

The Son of Man has Authority to Forgive Sins

Outline

Sins are above my pay grade

They are above my pay grade because I am a sinner and thus any pardons would be distorted

They are above my pay grade because according to James only God is the judge and he has committed all judgment to Jesus - I am not God

They are above my pay grade because I cannot pay the price for my own sins, let alone the sins of others

Now look at our gospel

Jesus is sitting, as teachers did, in a crowded house when four men carrying a stretcher come up and try to enter.

No one will give them space, but it is a flat roofed house and they are desperate, so the go up the steep stairs to the roof of the house, pull up the titles over where they thought Jesus was, and lower the stretcher into the crowded room.

That was a messy business, but they were desperate.

Jesus see the paralytic and rather than saying, “Get up and walk,” he says, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Now it is true that sin can be at the root of sickness and perhaps that was true in this case, but Jesus is making a point.

“Who can forgive sins but God,” snort the scribes.

Jesus never challenges the statement.

What is easier, to say “Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk”?

Perhaps Jesus points out that either is as easy to say.

But easy to say does not mean that they have any effect.

Then Jesus says, “But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins: I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”

They man gets up, closes the stretcher and goes home - this time the people drew back to give him plenty of space to get out.

Now Jesus does not say that he is God or has God’s authority.

He just uses his authority to forgive sins and backs it up with a healing that only God could do.

Brothers and sisters,

This is the reason that we should not judge.

It is above our pay grade.

This is the reason that when I absolve one of their sins I am fully conscious that I could not do that unless the authority of Jesus were in me - in the Latin rite, I am acting in persona Christi capitas.

This is the reason that Jesus is greater than the angels, the saints, or any other being, because he is the source of all being as God.

This is the reason we worship Jesus, for in our Divine Liturgy we see that he was indeed the one who offered himself up for our sins and therefore can set us free.

Readings

EPISTLE

Hebrews 1:10–2:3

10  And,

“You, Lord, founded the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

11 they will perish, but you remain;

they will all grow old like a garment,

12 like a cloak you will roll them up,

and they will be changed.

But you are the same,

and your years will never end.”

13  But to what angel has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand,

till I make your enemies

a stool for your feet”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

2 Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

2 For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him,

GOSPEL

Mark 2:1–12

2 And when he returned to Caperna-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them.

3  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this?

It is blasphemy!

Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they questioned like this within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question like this in your hearts?

9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—11 “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”

12  And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (3-13-2022: Second Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas)

SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2022 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

SECOND SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT OR SUNDAY OF SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS

Bright or Dark Vestments

Matins Gospel Luke 24:36–53 (39th Sunday)

Epistle Hebrews 1:10–2:3

Gospel Mark 2:1–12