Week 24—Monday Psalm 32:1-5
Week 24—MONDAY
DISEASE ROOTED IN GUILT
We saw yesterday that Jesus was at home in two worlds but knew that ultimate and finally authoritative word was with the higher world, the kingdom of God. This is seen in another incident in his life:
And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. (Matt. 9:2-7)
Jesus saw that the man’s sin and his disease were connected, and to cure him physically and leave him uncured spiritually would have done little or nothing for the man. For the man would probably have created another symptom in his body if the guilt had not been cleansed by forgiveness. He had to be cured of the guilt before he could be cured of the paralysis, for the guilt was the root of the paralysis.
This is the basic fallacy of Freudianism. It says that the basis of neurosis is guilt feelings. Get rid of the guilt feelings and you get rid of the neurosis. The truth is, as Mowrer says, that not guilt feelings, but guilt is at the basis of the neurosis. Here Mowrer is in line with Jesus, and Freud departs from him. And here Freud is fruitless—and worse—he creates more neuroses by trying to get rid of standards which create guilt feelings. Jesus gets rid of the guilt by forgiveness, and the paralysis no longer paralyzes. The man is free to carry the bed that carried him. This is the Word of forgiveness become flesh.
Dear Jesus, we thank you that you go to the root of our malady—our sin. We thank you for forgiveness of sin—a forgiveness that cost you dearly, a forgiveness that heals us completely—body, mind, and spirit. We thank you for making us well and whole. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Quacks treat symptoms, doctors treat diseases. I shall deal with diseases, not symptoms.