Feet, ears and eyes

The reading at the liturgy on Monday tells the story of a paralyzed man who could not stand upright. This man heard Paul speaking, and Paul fixed his eyes on him and saw that he had faith in order to be saved. Upon Paul’s command, the man got up and began to walk. As he had ears, he could hear the word of salvation and hold himself up on his feet.

This narrative reminds us in a few words that we are not angels and that our whole body participates in receiving faith and expressing it. The Word did not become an angel, but rather became flesh. We might also think of the narrative of the blind man of Jericho (Luke 18:35-43). As a result of hearing the crowd, he began to call out in order to attract Jesus’ attention. Having regained his sight, he was able to walk and follow Jesus on his way. What would remain of the New Testament if we would remove from it everything that touches upon the body and animates it? Abraham, already, opened the way of faith with his feet and his act of faith was as much a physical exercise as it was it was an operation of the intellect.

This means that it is not sufficient to be in full possession of the physical means to be saved. After the cure of the paralytic of Lystra, Paul and Barnabas heard the cries coming from the crowd, which had seen the miracle that had just happened…. And they had not understood anything. They took Barnabas for Zeus and Paul for Hermes. The Spirit has to educate our senses in order that we might discern the voice, receive salvation and give thanks. “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16).