Stand up and pick up your stretcher, your sin is forgiven

Amos 7:10-17, Mt. 9:1-8. Today's first reading describes how prophet Amos was harassed by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel in the northern kingdom of Israel. As the northern kingdom that was established by Jeroboam, who ruled over the ten tribes of Israel in rebellion to the House of David, he feared that Israelites would turn from him and return to David’s descendants as they continued to go to Jerusalem to worship God. Hence, he established a rival centre of worship in Bethel and Dan in the two corners of his new kingdom. Thus, Jeroboam led the people to sin against God, as he erected golden idols in those places and chose priests not from among the Levites as required by the Law. God sent the prophet Amos to bring His words and warnings, to remind the king and the people of their sins and to return to the true worship of God, but the king and his people refused.

Amaziah wanted Amos to get out of Israel and return to the land of Judah and perform his works in Israel and Bethel no more, so that he could have the autonomy of the authority. As the false priest of Bethel hardened his heart, likely driven by his ego and personal desires, he shut himself off from God, for his disobedience would eventually lead to reckoning and grave repercussions. These same attitudes were unfortunately adopted by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in their desire to maintain their prestige, status and power in the community, that they saw the Lord as their rival, and therefore tried all they could to undermine His works and authority. In today's Gospel, Jesus meets a paralytic and He extended His mercy and compassion to the suffering man. However, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were angered by this and alleged that the Lord Jesus was a blasphemer and sinner. This is what happens if we allow ourselves to be controlled by those desires and other things that lead us away from God. If we must return to God, we must learn how to bring down our ego, greed and personal ambitions and adopt humility and generosity.

May the Lord be the road we travel and give us peaceful reward of our humility and generosity at the end of our journey! Amen!! Keep safe, it is well!!!