Chapter 2

Read Mark 2:1-12, Jesus forgives and heals a paralyzed man

A few days later Jesus and His disciples are back at home base, Capernaum. The people heard He was back and a large crowd filled the house and blocked the door. This is another situation that makes me wonder. Four guys carrying their paralyzed friend can’t get to Jesus, so they climbed up on the roof, tore a hole in the roof and let him down in front of Jesus. I always wondered why someone didn’t stop them from tearing a hole in the roof. The only answer to me is the hand of God held anyone from stopping this miracle and confrontation with the teachers of the law.

Verses 5-7 set the stage…

⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ⁷ “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

I love the way Jesus sets up a situation to remove any doubt about His teaching.

Verses 8-12 amazed everyone…

⁸ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, He said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

What were the teachers of the law thinking? Were they amazed? Were they angry? What did they think of Jesus? The scene is interesting and repeats itself with other miracles. Without God opening our eyes, “God’s ways are foolish to man” (1 Corinthians 2:14) 

Read Mark 2:13-17, the calling of Levi (Matthew)

The next few stories really set the challenge to live by grace, not by the rules and regulations of man. Jesus adds another disciple by calling Levi, who we also know as Matthew the Gospel writer, out of a tax collector’s booth. Tax collectors were Jewish men working for the Roman government. They were despised by the Jewish people. What do you think Peter and the other disciples thought about Jesus calling him? However, Jesus said “Follow Me” just like He told the others and Levi left his booth and followed Jesus.

Then to add to the weirdness of the situation, Jesus and His disciples go to Levi’s house for dinner. Verse 15 says, “¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him. 

When the teachers of the law questioned this action, Jesus’ words in verse 17 ring down through the ages to today’s church…

¹⁷“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Do we understand we are here to reach the lost? Do we set “barriers” that make seekers uncomfortable? Do we have certain unspoken dress codes and look down at people that don’t match us? When a new person walks through the door, do we reach out to them and ask if we can guide them or answer any questions? Do visitors feel welcome in our church?

Read Mark 2:18-28, Questions about Fasting and the Sabbath

Jesus begins to turn the conversation away from man’s rules (the law) and uses two different situations to challenge the purpose of their man-made religion. I believe these are good things for us to think about today. Are our religious rules today followed to impress man or do we do what we do to honor our Heavenly Father? 

The three examples about fasting are asking why we follow certain procedures. They are challenging us to make sure we are looking at the situation through the eyes of Jesus. The statement about the sabbath is also asking us are we just being religious or is Jesus the Lord of the sabbath?