“THEY WERE STRUCK WITH AWE AND GLORIFIED GOD.” MT 9:1-8

Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men. MT 9:1-8

It is interesting that there were heresies from within our early Church falsely teaching that Jesus was not God/Divine or He was God but not human. Arius, a Catholic priest, taught that, “the Son is God in the same sense that the Father is God. According to Arius, the Son is not eternal nor of the same substance with the Father, but is a creature.” -EWTN
Due to this false doctrine, the early Church gathered in Nicaea and drew up the Nicene Creed we say each Sunday (pretty cool that we have said the same Creed for almost 1700 years-Truth never changes). This part of the Creed states, “It proclaims Jesus Christ as True God, “God from God, light from light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, of the same substance as the Father, by Whom all things were made.”-EWTN

In today’s Gospel, Jesus proves in 12 verses that He and the Father are one. Jesus himself proves He is God in front of a house full of people and the Jewish scribes. The evangelist, Matthew, says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,“Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,‘Your sins are forgiven, or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” –he said to the paralytic,“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone.

The scribes are correct. Only God can forgive sins. Jesus Christ is God, He can even read the minds and hearts of the people. The words come straight from the God Man’s mouth, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”. Jesus is God. He is a blasphemer if He does not die and rise. He is the Savior of the World, God made Man, the Alpha and the Omega, the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, if He dies and rises. Bishop Barron says, “Jesus is either God or a bad man”. He has to be one or the other, that is why He divides and requires us to make a decision. Do we need more proof? Once again, “They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” Have you? God’s Word is living and effective. It will never pass away. Are you ready to believe? If so, you will be struck with awe like the crowds, “When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.” When is the last time you believed and asked God for a miracle?

Today’s challenge: Read the Creed in the Youcat, one question a day, so you remember or learn what the Church protects as the Divine Truth revealed by God through Jesus and is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Be a servant, become a saint!
#​Christian YOLO