06-Elder Burch & Congregation-Divers – Gospel – Rock My Soul (CD 2 of 2)-My Heart Keep Singing

This blog reflects on the catholic daily bible readings from the New Jerusalem Bible translation.

Reading 1, Isaiah 35:1-10

1 Let the desert and the dry lands be glad, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom; like the asphodel,

The desert shall rejoice

2. let it burst into flower, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; then they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God.

3 Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees

4 and say to the faint-hearted, ‘Be strong! Do not be afraid. Here is your God, vengeance is coming, divine retribution; he is coming to save you.’

5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed,

6 then the lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy; for water will gush in the desert and streams in the wastelands,

7 the parched ground will become a marsh and the thirsty land springs of water; the lairs where the jackals used to live will become plots of reed and papyrus.

8 And through it will run a road for them and a highway which will be called the Sacred Way; the unclean will not be allowed to use it; even a fool will not go astray on this road.

9 No lion will be there, no ferocious beast set foot on it, nothing of the sort be found; it will be used by the redeemed.

10 For those whom the Lord has ransomed will return, they will come to Zion shouting for joy, their heads crowned with joy unending; rejoicing and gladness will escort them and sorrow and sighing will take flight.

Gospel, Luke 5:17-26  

17 Now it happened that he was teaching one day, and Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal. 18 And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. 19 But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus.

 20 Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ 

21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?’ 22 But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts?

23 Which of these is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? 24 But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ — he said to the paralysed man-‘I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.’ 25 And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

 26 They were all astounded and praised God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’

Two very different historical moments are brought together here: the release of Jewish captives from Babylon at the instance of Cyrus, the Persian king; and the early days of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee.  

The prophecy of return to Jerusalem explodes with anticipated joy which is imaged in the explosion of life in the desert. The people of Israel, who  have suffered another forty years in the desert, that is, in Babylon, before a new exodus to the land of promise, are the flowers that bloom in dead land, the water that gushes in dry places, the jackal’s dens that turn into oases. The language of natural fruitfulness describes a human miracle: freedom from oppression and the restoration of community. The Way is described as holy because over it God accompanies his people back to Zion.

It is as if Jesus became such an explosion of life in his community that those in need were drawn to seek him out. The gospel story shows the determination Jesus’ ministry has already given to the friends of the paralysed man, who tear a house open to get their man to the place of healing. The torn roof becomes an emblem of the generosity of God in Jesus. This is no economy of scarcity, although the guardians of faith would like it to be so. Teaching is offered, sins are forgiven, people are healed: flowers bloom in the desert. Through the confidence and compassion of Jesus, God is with his people. 

Fruitfulness available to all, especially to the needy, is a mark of God’s presence.  

I think of the early days of an organic café project, run by my daughter, in Douglas Parish Church, Dundee. People gathered to eat food which was purchased, prepared and served by volunteers from church and community, whose happiness in offering good food at a price all could afford, was evident and infectious.

 In such blessed events there are always different roles to be played: to have and communicate the vision; to offer skills and hard work; to enjoy what has been prepared; all these are necessary, but together they produce a sharing of life, in which God’s goodness can be experienced.