Fourth Sunday after Pascha – Sunday of the Paralytic, Tone 3; the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (54-68)
Acts 9:32-42; 1 Peter 5:6-14; John 5:1-15; Mark 6:7-13
All-night Vigil Feast
Read John 5:1-15
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Jesus asks the paralytic: “Do you want to be healed?” A simple question one would think. Notice that the paralytic does not answer “Yes”. He begins to tell Jesus about why he has not been healed. We don’t see the faith of the paralytic but despite that Jesus commands him: Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.
Jesus heals him physically but spiritually He remains unchanged. Not only can he not say “yes”, he also does not thank Jesus for healing him from sickness of 38 years! He actually turns on Jesus and REPORTS Him to the authorities saying that it was Jesus that healed him. You could almost say that he betrays Jesus. So, physical healing does not automatically bring about a conversion. Today’s paralytic is an example of just that.
Let us pray for a spirit of gratitude and solidarity towards God. Although it is good to pray for the conversion of people around us, it is also most important that we pray for our own continual conversion.