Healing of the Paralytic

The fourth Sunday of Pascha in the Byzantine Rite Church is dedicated to Christ’s healing of the paralytic. In Saint John’s Gospel, we read the account of the paralyzed man who is miraculously healed by Christ while waiting for assistance to be immersed into a pool of healing water.

Each of us is challenged to ask ourself a similar question that the Savior asked the paralyzed man: “Are you ill in soul and body? Do you want to be healed and become whole?” Most would probably answer: “Of course, I want to whole!” But Christ’s question requires us to think about what it means to receive healing from God.

If we want to be healed, we must understand that it carries with it the responsibility of the newly acquired wholeness. To be healed by the power of God – whether in body, soul, or spirit – means to be transformed as a person who strives with all one’s soul, mind, heart, and strength to love and serve God and neighbor as self. Thus, in the gospel, we are told together with the paralytic “to sin no more that nothing worse befall you” (Jn 5.14).

Wholeness also means a new relationship with God, a new relationship with oneself, and a new relationships with the world. In relation to God, this means the end of separation. In relation to oneself, this means daring to live honestly, rather than superficially. In relation to the world, it means to live thoughtfully and compassionately, seeking goodness and avoiding harm and destruction.

This is how we are to live if we want to answer Christ: “Yes, Lord! I want to be whole!” But before we boldly respond, we must ponder: “Are we ready to bring integrity to our life for God’s sake, for ourselves, and for our neighbor’s sake?” And only then will we be ready to answer: “Yes, Lord!”

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