When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 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. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 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. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 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? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? 10 But so 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, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." 12 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!"
I was reading this passage in low-German the other day and I was suddenly opened to a new insight. But first, let me try my hands at some low-German exegesis. The text reads,
"Doa kjeemen uk vea Mana no am, dee eenen Jelaemden druagen. Un wiels doa soo vael Menschen wieren, daut see am nich bat Jesus brinjen kunnen, muaken see jrod bowa Jesus een Loch derch daut Dak un leeten daen Jelaemden met Madrauz toop ver Jesus rauf. Aus Jesus aearen Gloowen sach, saed hee to daen Jelaemden: Mien Saen, die sent diene Sinden vejaeft." (Mark 2.3-5) The paralized man-with-his-mattress, "met Madrauz toop", is lowered into the 'unroofed' (apostegazo) section above Jesus. There is a tight connection between the man and his mattress. His inability to come to Jesus on his own is already symbolized in his coming with "vea Mana" (four men). In fact, the men carrying the paralytic are the first ones mentioned. The means of approach are crucial for the man lying on a matt precisely because there is no other way to get to the home where Jesus is. Yet it is precisely because of these 'helpers' that the paralytic no longer needs to wait in line; he is urgently seeking Christ's help, and these four men are able to do what the others can either not imagine to do, or perhaps don't think appropriate to do - that is, to step ahead of the crowds and enter in.
These four men are able to do what the man cannot do on his own; they are able to 'unroof' a certain place above Jesus, away from the crowd, above the crowd, and let a paralyzed man into the presence of the Healer. Jesus' response to this is not annoyance. Here is someone who has foregone the conventional methods of approach to Jesus. Here is a man who is completely reliant on others for access to the Healer, yet reaches beyond the crowds of others, recognizing that what he really needs is not those others, perhaps not even ultimately those who dig a hole for him in the roof. What he really needs lies beyond the crowds, even as he needs help from four "others", afterall those who can walk are the paradigmatic other for the paralytic, in order get beyond, above and past the crowds. What he needs and wants is Jesus. And Jesus recognizes the hope and trust that is placed in him. He recognizes the foolish courage demonstrated in this climbing past the crowds.
Jesus sees this man for what he is, a paralytic with mattress in tow (met Madrauz toop). He is a man created in the image of God, a child of Abraham just as the rest that crowd around the door; yet he has baggage. He cannot stand on his own two feet to get in line. The crowd is blocking his approach to Jesus. Perhaps he should have waited in line with the rest, appreciating the good company of those that earnestly seek to find the Healer by conventional means. Yet the story is about a man who reaches beyond the usual means; he wants direct access to the Healer, and there are at least four "others" who are willing to make this embarrasing journey with the paralytic on top of the roof. This mattress is what sets the man apart from the rest in the sense that it is a physical object of differentiation between all the others that come on their own steam, on their own two feet. Perhaps he could have dragged himself there, using his own hands perhaps, depending on the kind of injury he had, but surely he wouldn't have been able to climb the roof on his own. The mattress signifies his utter dependence on others for help. Yet all that Jesus saw, when he looked at this eager paralytic, was a man with earnest faith. In fact, Jesus saw not only the faith of the paralytic but "their" faith (aearen Gloowen). He saw the faith of the unconventional paralytic, and these rogue "others" who were willing to forgoe the line-up - the proper approach to a healer - and bring this man through the roof. When he saw their faith he told the man exactly what was truly necessary in this man's life: Your sins are forgiven!
Jesus did not, at first, tell him to rise and walk. This was not only an unexpected word to the paralyzed man, who came for a healing, but also for those gathered around Jesus to hear his words (v.2). The "others" who needed no physical help, wanted to hear the wisdom and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. They wanted to hear the truth put forth in teaching and doctrine. The paralytic, on the other hand, was probably less interested in the teachings than in a healing of his broken body. Jesus, however, knows that what is necessary to heal in this paralytic, and what is necessary to hear among the others gathered in the home, is not that Jesus can heal, but that He is the One who has authority to forgive sins. The healing is a side item the proves this point, and also gifts the paralytic with what he so desperately longs for.
In my readings in theology, spirituality, Church history, and ecclesiology, I am constantly reminded of the crowd that is blocking the accessway to Jesus Christ. These crowds gather around Jesus and make it very difficult for people to get to him; in fact, they set up line-ups that properly order our access to the Healer. Some of these "crowds" have names: the "evangelical" qualifier for what gets counted as authentic Christianity, the tradition/authority and apostolicity of Catholicism, the nonviolence qualifier for what gets counted as being serious about Jesus, etc... Each, in their own way, set up a line that one must walk in order to get to Jesus. I'm beginning to see myself as one of those "vea Mana", one of those who can walk and have been part of that blocking crowd, who wishes to help those who really need and want Jesus. I'm beginning to learn the art of unroofing. I'm hoping that there may be others that will join me in opening holes in exclusivity; perhaps in seeing the faith of the paralytics, Christ will also see my faith, my failures too... and offer me forgiveness straight up, without lineups and human pathways to the divine.
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