SAVED BY THE FAITH OF HIS FRIENDS

Amos 7:10-17; Mt 9:1-8

God always sends prophets to speak His word to every community. And most of times these prophets are not accepted. Amos was chosen from the southern kingdom of Judah. He was rejected because he did not appear to Amaziah that he had the qualities to be a prophet. In the gospel too, the religious leaders could not accept Jesus acting in the place of God.  Hence, they were scandalized that someone among them who was hardly a rabbi or a prophet could forgive the sins of the paralyzed man.  Like Amos, Jesus too was rejected and seen as an enemy of God and the people.

The stark truth is that it is difficult to be a prophet.   People do not want to hear bad news from us, especially when it is the truth about themselves.  People only want to hear good things and good news. Let me not take too much time on that.

In the Gospel of today, after being kicked out of the country of the Gadarenes because He destroyed their black market pig industry, Jesus returns to Capernaum. This is where He HEALS A PARALYSED MAN.

This section has few points which deserve deep thought for us today. First of all, we have a wonderful picture of a man who was saved by the faith of his friends. Had it not been for them to take him to Jesus, this man would never have reached the healing presence of Jesus. I want to appreciate that mentioning especially they strong, humble and active faith to intercede for this man. It is a strong faith of intercession because they strongly believed that Jesus can heal him, it is a humble faith because they accepted to take their friend to a man rejected by their religious leader, and it is active faith because it is accompanied by deeds.

This message stresses much the power of intercession. We cannot force somebody, against his will to accept Jesus; but we can only point out to him a way whereby he may find for himself. If any one has a friend who does not know Christ, or who does not care for Christ, or who is even hostile to Christ, it is his Christian duty to  not let that person go until he has brought him into the healing presence of Christ. And we will only be able to do that if we have something Christian we can show our friends through words and deeds.

The question we have to ask ourselves today is whether we are responding to the call to be prophets and intercessors in the circumstances of our lives; how do we express our faith? And what is my participation in the work of evangelization?