Mysteries Of LightSample

"The Proclamation of the Kingdom" The third mystery to consider in the mysteries of light is the Proclamation of the Kingdom. There are many scriptures we could consider here, but we will look at the miracle of the paralyzed man brought to Jesus by his friends in Mark’s gospel. The action of the friends and the remarkable response of Jesus give us two examples to consider in thinking about the kingdom being proclaimed. The expression Kingdom of God/heaven is used over 60 times in the gospels but never explicitly defined. We have a sense of what it is and what it looks like in the parables and teaching of Jesus, but also in his very actions and witness, and that of the early church. Words like service, sacrifice, forgiveness, mercy, and love all fit into this image, as do the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. The writings of the apostles also build on these images as the early church tries to come to terms with not only proclaiming but living this kingdom. In the story we have the four men doing whatever is necessary to bring their friend to Jesus. They seek no personal reward and receive none, other than seeing their friend restored and set free. This is kingdom living and we are called to the same. What are we prepared to do to bring a friend to Jesus? In Jesus’s response to the paralyzed man, he again shows us the true nature of God. He sees beyond the external and is prepared to be the truth that sets us free. The expected response of Jesus to the hearers of the gospel is that he would heal the man. If that is what happened, the story would still be a brilliant account of the love of God. But Jesus goes further. In forgiving the sins of the man, Jesus proclaims that he is God and that God is merciful and just. When we come before Jesus, either of our own accord or brought by friends, we are restored in all the ways we need to be. God is both surprising and totally predictable. He always does what is best for us. But because we carry wounds from conditional love of others, we are always surprised by his unconditional love. Take some time repeating a prayer as you allow the enormity of Jesus’s forgiveness to flow into your being. Then when you are ready, ‘pick up your pallet and go home.’