rise up, pick up your mat, and go home

With no special goal or direction in mind, I was enjoying a slow-paced afternoon of meandering around the west wing of the Main Floor Gallery at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. 

Then I came around a corner and stopped, suddenly startled, facing a rendition by an anonymous artist of a familiar Gospel story, a painting I had never seen before:

I immediately recognized the image as the story of the paralytic-- one that is told again in today's Gospel, Mark 2:1-12. 

I found everything about this image provoking.  

In the past, when I have heard the healing of the paralytic story proclaimed at Mass, I always pictured a feeble man--and in my mind's eye, the man was carrying something small, maybe equivalent to a door mat! 

But our Lord is much more generous and merciful than my imagination.

Jesus healed the paralytic and brought him back to wholeness. He gave him the strength, energy, ability--everything he needed--to enable him to walk away with his mat and go back to his life... no matter how massive or heavy was the paralytic's old baggage!

Now let the images walk you through the Scripture:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,

it became known that he was at home.

Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,

not even around the door,

and he preached the word to them.

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,

they opened up the roof above him.

After they had broken through,

they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

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.

They were all astounded

and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Netherlandish 16th Century (painter)

The Healing of the Paralytic, c. 1560/1590

oil on panel

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 

[I originally wrote about this painting in my blog October 25, 2012]

When a picture speaks louder than words

With no special goal or direction in mind, I wondered around the west wing of the Main Floor Gallery at the National Gallery of Art, came around a corner, and stopped in front of an oil painting I had never seen before:

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 

⁵ And 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 man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus,perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them,“Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 

¹⁰ But 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, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 

¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” [Gospel of Mark 2:1-12]