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Faith That Breaks Down Social Barriers
Series “Theology of Interdependence and Disability,” Part 6 (Mark 2:1-12)
Mari Ikeda
Since last summer, once a month, I have been doing a series on “Theology of Disability and Interdependence,” an attempt to re-read the Bible from the perspective of people with disabilities, based on Kathy Black’s book. Today is the sixth in the series. Following the order of the book, today we will read Mark 2:1-12. We will read the first half and the second half separately. First, verses 1-5.
A. The model shown by Jesus (1-5)
1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
1. By an insane and unconventional method
The behavior of these four people is very insane. It is said that the roofs of houses at that time were simply made of wood coated with earth, but even so, it is insane to rip off the roof of someone else’s house and make a hole big enough for a person to pass through while lying on the mat. But Jesus was pleased with their behavior. The reason they acted that way was so that Jesus could heal the sick who could not move his body. If the people would not make way for the sick man, they had to make their own way for him. I believe that they believed that no matter how insane and reprehensible their methods were, their goal of bringing the sick to Jesus was never wrong. Even in the modern age in which we live, there are many social barriers that prevent those who need Jesus’ help from approaching Him. Jesus loves everyone equally, regardless of disability or illness, but social structures and people’s attitudes discriminate against people with disabilities and illnesses. But this discrimination is often unconscious, and sometimes it takes a very bold approach to remove it, even breaking the common sense. The building of Your Church is full of barriers. The entrance is a steep staircase, the door is not a sliding door but a heavy door that opens and closes back and forth, and the restrooms are small. Several years ago, we installed an intercom at the entrance and put up a sign that says, “If you need help going down the stairs, please call us,” but ideally, anyone should be able to come in without such assistance. Since this is a rental property, I think we may need to negotiate with the owner to see if there is any way to make it work, and we may also need to consider moving. In fact, there have been times when the leaders have seriously considered moving. I think this is an issue that we need to continue to think about. But more difficult than these physical problems is the barrier of people’s prejudices. As one example, have you ever heard of the term “Harm Reduction”? I learned about it a few years ago and it was an “eye opener” for me. Harm reduction is a concept that originated in drug addiction treatment. In Japan, the slogan “Absolutely no!” has been used against the use of illegal drugs, and the message has been spread that “If you use drugs, your life will be ruined and there is no way to get it back.” However, this message has resulted in telling drug addicts that they are criminals and their lives are irreversible, making it harder and harder for those in need to seek help. In fact, in the West, where the problem of drug abuse is far more serious than in Japan, it has become clear that harsher penalties for drug use do nothing to curb drug use and in fact make the problem worse. For most drug addicts, drug use is a means of survival to live in a painful reality, and to take it away is to take away their means of survival. Therefore, Harm Reduction’s support method is not to take away the means of survival in the form of drugs, but to help them gradually acquire other means of survival. A few years ago, NHK introduced a specific initiative in Canada. It is an initiative to create places in the city where people can legally use drugs. Nurses are stationed there, clean syringes are provided, and the police do not police those places. The nurses watch over the drug users to make sure their conditions do not become dangerous, and if anyone wants to talk to them, they are available, but they do not force them into treatment. The priority is to allow drug use in the safest environment possible, in the safest way possible, and to protect the dignity of the drug user. Then, in cooperation with various social services, they suggest ways to solve the various problems that drug users face in their lives. In this way, they create opportunities for addiction treatment, while at the same time increasing the number of people and places they can trust and feel safe, and increasing the number of things they can rely on other than drugs. Since the number of drug users in Japan itself is much smaller than in the Western world to begin with, it is hard to say whether the exact same efforts as in Canada are needed. The abuse of commercial drugs may be more of a problem now. Still, I think the tolerance and boldness of Canadian society toward drug users is something that Japanese society lacks. I think this is because of the persistent prejudice that “drug users are criminals and dropouts in life,” and the image of violent crimes committed by drug users. That image is a false image created by the media. Although I could not find data specific to drug addicts, according to the 2020 edition of the White Paper on Crime, crimes committed by people with mental disorders account for 1% of all arrests, which is rather lower than the overall population, considering that the percentage of people with mental disorders in the overall population is 2%. What exactly does it mean to us to cut a big hole in the roof of someone else’s house to get someone who needs help to Jesus? It is society that makes disability a barrier. Sometimes insane actions are necessary to break through unconscious prejudice and exclusion.
2. Removing the stigma of disability and illness
Jesus spoke to the sick man who had been hung from the roof, saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” I can just imagine what Jesus looked like at this moment. Suddenly, the roof over his head was ripped off and a large hole was made in the roof, and a bedridden man was hung from the roof. I think Jesus immediately knew what they were expecting, given that the man was paralyzed, and that there were four people on the roof to hang him. Their expectation of Jesus and their love for this man suffering from paralysis was obvious. I imagine Jesus smiled, or grinned, or maybe even laughed loudly and rejoiced. The call, “ Son,” is a very intimate one. And the declaration, “Your sins are forgiven,” is intended to free this person from the social stigma that the sick and disabled are sinners. This man was not particularly more sinful than others, nor did he fall ill as a punishment for the sins he had committed. As evidenced by the intimate way he called out, “Son,” this man was God’s child from the beginning, both before and after he became ill. God was not angry with him nor had He abandoned him. I believe that by declaring, “Your sins are forgiven,” Jesus was saving him from unnecessary guilt and ending his suffering.
Thus, Jesus has here given us a model for our society to aspire to. It is, first, to stand on the fact that all people, regardless of disability or illness, are God’s children, loved by God. Second, that fact has not become our reality because of our unconscious prejudice and discrimination, and that sometimes insane methods are necessary to remove such social barriers. When those with disabilities and illnesses ask God for help, and those around them ask for help together, together we break down social barriers, and God is pleased and responds to that.
Now, let’s read the second half of the passage, verses 6-12.
B. The role the Church inherited from Jesus (6-12)
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
1. Forgiveness of sins (Matthew 18:18, John 20:23)
In the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, only God alone could forgive sins. Even the Messiah, who was prophesied to appear at the end of the world, was not expected to forgive people’s sins on God’s behalf, as his primary role was to judge people’s sins (e.g., Daniel 7). Also, no one had the idea that God Himself would come to this world as the Savior until Jesus appeared.
But Jesus appeared and died on the cross. In doing so, God showed that He was not trying to change the world through judgment, but through mercy and forgiveness of sins. This work was passed on from God to Jesus and from Jesus to the Church, the body of believers in Jesus. Let us read Jesus’ words in two places.
Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. (John 20:23)
These words do not mean that we can judge people on God’s behalf, but that we should forgive one another our sins. They mean that just as Jesus bore our sins on the cross, we should forgive each other our sins and seek for God’s mercy and love to be realized. It includes telling those who are hurt by prejudice against disability or illness, or confused that disability or illness may be due to something they have done wrong, the truth that “your sins are forgiven, you are God’s child, God loves you.” In this sense, the church has the mission of breaking down various social barriers with the truth of forgiveness of sins from God.
2. Healing miracles
Finally, I would like to add another role that Jesus gave us: performing healing miracles.
When Jesus commanded the paralyzed man to “get up, carry the mat and go home,” the man was able to do just as he was told to. This verb “get up” is the same verb used when Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus completely healed the man’s paralysis and gave him the hope of living again.
We may not have the supernatural power to heal the sick like Jesus. It may be difficult to perform the miracle of healing a disease. But if we can have hope in a hopeless situation, that in itself is a miracle. Even in the midst of physical pain and in the face of the fear of death, to believe in God’s love and not lose hope is a miracle that God can perform. I believe that God responds to the person’s own trust in Him. Also, as we saw in today’s Bible passage, the presence of people who are with us in our suffering can also work miracles. We can be in a situation where we can’t quite believe why this is happening to us or that the Lord is good, but through those who are with us, we can somehow regain hope. It is a miracle that God’s power works in us and brings our hope back to life, just as He rose from the dead. So, even if we cannot perform miracles that actually heal our bodies, we can perform miracles that create hope in the midst of despair.
To believe in God is to believe in His love. And God’s love is poured out to all people equally. To believe in it is to destroy what stands in the way of it. Wrong prejudice. Unconscious discrimination. Unnecessary guilt. Sometimes we have to use insane methods to destroy these things that are all around us. It may start with breaking our own hearts.
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, please break our hearts with your love. Help us to forgive one another as you have forgiven us. For this purpose, humble our hearts. We come before you without hiding anything. Please guide our hearts with your spirit. We entrust to You all that is in our hearts. Please investigate and correct our mistakes. We pray in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Summary
<This is part 6 in a series of readings of Kathy Black’s “A Healing Homiletic -Preaching and Disability.”> God loves everyone equally, regardless of disability or illness, but there are many barriers in society that deny this. These barriers are often unconscious and sometimes require insane and unconventional methods to break them down. The church also has the mission to continue to witness that disability and illness are not punishments from God. And anyone who believes in Jesus can perform miracles that create hope in the midst of despair by attending to the pain in people’s hearts, even if we cannot perform miracles that actually heal their bodies.
For Discussion
- Are there barriers around you that are getting in the way of delivering the love of Jesus?
- What “healing miracles” have you experienced?