On Compromise

Jesus said: ‘Rise, take up your bed, and walk.’ He says this after he has forgiven the sick man’s sins. The bystanders say, ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But what’s more difficult? The healing is a kind of arbitration, so they will agree that Jesus has authority over disease.

            Compromise is a third way; the parties combine, rejecting part of each other’s demands and abandoning others. What’s left is the true gold. Compromise also has a negative aspect: computer systems, privacy, health can all be compromised, failing to act ideally due to malware, lack of security, or maladies. This lays them open to vulnerabilities, perils, and harms.

            At present, I sometimes have to compromise with my compromised body. I try to take Jesus’ words as a prescription: rise, get up out of bed, and walk. The purpose of walking in Luke’s Gospel is to glorify God. The purpose of healing is to glorify God. So each day I try to walk a little more.

            You get a compromise between what you want and what you get. We know too much science now to think sins cause illness. We pray for God to be glorified by healing.