Folding the Bed

                                       MATHEW 9 :1-8 

(Sermon by Achan. Ajish Babu)

Unknowingly we are in the claws of capitalist Ideologies and Life styles. Those dominant forces of the society formulate our identities. The nook and corner of our Social, Political, Economical and Cultural engagements are affecting by the capitalist Consumerist world. Here the words of Michel Foucult, the variant voice among the western philosophers, are relevant. He says the cultivation of the self is important in such a capitalistic social arena.

 
It is very important to us to know the present world order and our space. We are subjugated by wide spread webs of the corporate. We have no right to choose our dress, food, vehicle, shelter and so on. We are imposing to select these things on demand of the market that exists. In other words, we are like refugees with a scattered identity.

 In this perplexed social situations, the reading and the re-reading of the gospel according to St. Mathew Chapt.9:1-8 is relevant. We all know the purpose behind the composition of the gospel according to St. Mathew. It focuses mainly on the Jewish Christian world. However, the content did not say with Jewish thought, rather it counter the existing traditional Jewish thoughts. Chapter 9:1-8 has a counter Phenomena. I would like to share a thought from this passage.

Folding the Bed :  A resistance against imperial ideologies.

 
Mark. 15:27; says “But no one eon enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without tying up the strong man”. Here tying up the Strongman is the chief thrust of Jesus’ ministry. His healing ministry explicitly against the strongman who subjugated the entire humanity with sickness. When we look up on the v.4 portion. Mt.9:l-8 We can understand the oppressive element in the sickness. It was not only a biological problem but also a social and a political phenomenon. 

We all know about the Jewish social approach towards the sick. They were indifferent towards them and marginalized them by assessing them as polluted. The root cause for this marginalization is the Jewish concept about sick. They thought that the disease is the after effect of sin. It is only about the religious realm of the meditation portion. We can also go through the portion with a political eye.

In that sense, folding the bed is an important symbol. Albert Nolan in his book “Jesus before Christianity” shares the reason for sickness of the first century Palastinoan people. He states that the cause for the sickness of the people is mostly because of the psychological stress, that they experienced from the Roman imperialism.

 Verse 2 says. “And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven’.

When Jesus saw the paralyzed Man then he was so dependent. The bed has a significant role in that man’s life. It is the bed, which determines the sickness of the paralyzed Man. He was carried up to Jesus by the bed, but after the miraculous healing, he folded and took his bed with him. Here the bed symbolizes the Jewish religious traditions and imperial oppressive tools.

 When the paralyzed man met with Jesus, he realized the oppressive hands of the state and the religion, which crushed him with the so called disease. Here the sickness is a construct, a construct of the Socio-Political and religious Scenario which existed in the Jewish World. In that way, folding the bed is a counter activity, a strong resistance against the imperial ideologies.

 Turning To House is a Re- Building of Identity:

                                        Paralyzed man was a symbolic representation of oppressed society. He stayed on the bed for a long time and he faces much oppression from the people because he is not able to walk alone. Therefore, Bed is place of oppression .but there were many personal, social, economic and religious struggle, however relief of pain and loneliness is the part of his social life. I think that bed as an imperial colonial power starchier, but Jesus removed now he is free man in the society.

7v Says “And he arose, and departed to his house” .here is Three stages, rising, leaving the crowded court, homecoming. However, here was used house that interpreted in two ways. One his family second his temple

Temple was an important of Jewish life. However, there is one of problem Paralyzed persons did not allow worship and other temple activity. He was out of religious system, I think that temple as social instruction because there is interlink of social relationship at the same time this is spiritual place. But Jesus movement proclaimed new humanity centered solidarity. These two experiences lost in his life. Religious experiences important in human social identity. But  Jesus was gave in his life. one of the problem is here, His house and social relation is part of his Identity. That identity had broken that bed and sickness. Here Jesus told “go to your home” that words re-builds a new life. Home is important in everyone life which is filled with father, mother, relatives, wife, children, etc. That is the part of identity that Jesus provided to that man by saying “go to your home” that words re-builds a new life. Here he came with 4 people and went separately. Healing made his journey as a public journey, Hence it is a public witness of Christ centered identity where he is not an object but subject.

After his Journey, He entered in House or Temple, but there was started new sound. Bible says that sound was “Glorification of God”. I think this was context of temple worship. Here was important, after the healing was created new worship form   

Conclusion

 Dear Friends, Jesus and His ministry was an open struggle against the imperial structures. He de-enveloped the undercurrent of the imperial influence up on the common people. Which was a hidden one in Roman dominated Jewish world. It is in a mystical and a tactical way, the corporate works in contemporary world. We cannot identify the way which they implement their ideologies. As a true follower of Jesus Christ, It is our task to make aware the people about the profit oriented capitalist structure, which existed among us. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are lie down in the ideological beds of the capitalist, consumerist world. Here the word of Jesus is relevant. “Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.