Unbound: The Healing Power of Forgiveness
January 17, 2025 - Friday, Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
Mark 2:1-12
In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the paralyzed man with an extraordinary statement: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). This moment invites us to reflect on a profound question: how do we understand sin?
Understanding Sin
The Bible presents sin in various ways. In Genesis, the sins of the Amorites led to their loss of the Promised Land (Gen. 15:16), and the grave sins of Sodom and Gomorrah invited destruction. These often point to general immorality and idolatry. Yet, the Bible also highlights specific acts of wrongdoing, such as Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery or the Pharaoh’s cupbearer forgetting Joseph in prison—both described as sins.
Theologians have long used metaphors to capture the essence of sin:
Hubris: A Greek term denoting pride or arrogance—a desire to elevate oneself above others.
Sloth: Often mistaken for mere laziness, it can also mean a refusal to take responsibility for one’s life, allowing others to decide for you.
Missing the Mark: Borrowed from Greek tragedies, this refers to a flaw or failure that leads to downfall.
Moral Evil: The Church defines sin as deliberate disobedience to God’s laws, done with full knowledge and consent.
What kind of sins did Jesus forgive the paralytic? The Gospel doesn’t tell us, but it does invite us to explore the transformative power of forgiveness.
What Does Forgiveness Mean?
The Greek term for forgiveness implies release. It recalls instances like Moses releasing his wife to her father or the mandated release of slaves during the Jubilee Year. When Jesus forgave the paralytic, He released him from the bondage of sin—whatever those sins may have been. This release is not just a spiritual act but a profound restoration of freedom, dignity, and relationship with God.
The Scandal of Forgiveness
The scribes in the story were scandalized. Only God could forgive sins, they thought. Today, we might not question Jesus’ authority, but we often struggle with the idea that He entrusted this same authority to His Church: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:23).
For many, the idea of confessing sins to a priest is puzzling. Why not pray directly to God for forgiveness? After all, why involve a sinner in the process of forgiving another sinner?
The scribes’ logic was flawless: only God can forgive sins. But they failed to recognize that Jesus is God incarnate. Similarly, contemporary critics overlook the wisdom of Jesus entrusting forgiveness to His disciples. A priest, though imperfect, can empathize with a penitent because he, too, is a sinner. The apostles understood this when they urged believers to confess their sins to one another, knowing it brings profound release and healing.
Forgiveness as Healing
When Jesus forgave the paralytic, He demonstrated that forgiveness is more than a legal transaction; it is a healing act. Sin paralyzes us, not only spiritually but often emotionally and relationally. To be forgiven is to be unbound, freed to walk again—both physically and spiritually.
The sacrament of reconciliation continues this ministry of healing. It invites us to approach Jesus through the Church, confess our sins, and experience the joy of being released. In doing so, we embrace the same mercy and restoration that the paralytic received.