The Word of God, as we encounter it today, turns a shepherd into a prophet, and frees a sick man from his illness as well as from his sins. To Amaziah's accusation that his credentials were not in order, Amos replies that the choice was God's and not his own. Neither was the word given to him to proclaim a word to soothe or console; it was, rather, a stern word intended to free the people from the blindness of their complacent attitude.

The cure of the paralytic, likewise, stresses this liberating power of God's word welcomed with faith. The Word can free us not only from the consequences of evil such as sickness, but also from the root of the problem, sin itself. Yet the response of the scribes shows us the awesome truth that this liberating power can be restricted or even rejected.