July 7, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Mark? Here’s today’s reading:
Mark 2 (NIV)
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them…..Continue Reading
Talking to “some teachers of the law” in verse 10, Jesus said, “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” One of the purposes of miracles in Mark is to reveal the presence and power of the kingdom of God and also to demonstrate Jesus’ divine authority. Difficult to see how there could be confusion about who He is.
Jesus reads the scribes’ minds.
He tells them, the reason that He makes the statement about the forgiveness of sins is to demonstrate His power on earth to forgive sins. Jesus speaks and acts with authority. The physical healing of the man reinforces HIs authority, yet they still question him.
“And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.”
Psalms 114-117
“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.”
Psalms 116:5-6 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.116.5-6.NIV
As with enculturation of today, our grooming through life emanates so much from our environment that we can be blinded from truth even if steeped in scripture study as the Pharisees. were. They were so rigidly concerned with times, dates and places that they could not see the miracles and grace occurring right in front of them, and instead choosing to scorn Jesus and His followers. Thank God for the example set through His Son and the scriptures and His calling. His patience to awakening us with His calling as His children has allowed generations of great men & women who lived before us who preserved His Word through the many years.
Imagine Jesus questioning you regarding something you were thinking? This verse struck me this morning as I read as a reminder that He knows when we are doubting or when we are confused or struggling. He is listening and always ready to draw us to Him!
Jesus reminds them several times how He has come for the broken, sick, and sinners…US! He came to save and would make a way beyond the law or anything we can do on our own. He baffled them when He didn’t follow their normal traditions but He was showing them that He was the new way!
Mark 2
This is a interesting scene where Jesus has come to Capernaum and is now teaching in a house. The crowd is so large that the four men carrying a paralyzed man can`t enter in the doorway. They instead have to dismantle the roof to lower the man down. Jesus sees their faith and says to the paralyzed man [ Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.] Jesus proves to all around that He is the Son of God by healing the man. It says that they were all amazed and glorified God. Jesus next calls Levi [ Matthew ] who is at his job counting taxes to follow Him. It is interesting that Matthew immediately gets up and follows Him. Like he must have been observing Jesus and listening to His teachings. Jesus called him when he was ready but in God`s timing. Like He did with us. I like the way that he is represented in the series The Chosen. Perhaps a little different than we have thought. And then him not fitting in with many of the other disciples for he was Jewish working for Rome to collect taxes from the Jewish people. Note that he was not the one who kept count of the disciples money within the group. But The Chosen does show him writing down the things while they were with Jesus and helping out where he could. And we have the book of Matthew because of it. Jesus often healed on the sabbath and sometimes in the synagogue. In this case His disciples were plucking the ears of corn for they were hungry and this was on the sabbath. The Pharisees were so upset that the disciples did this on the sabbath and told Jesus so. Jesus reminds them that the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. They held to the letter of the law without compassion for others. Like white wash tombs looking good on the outside but inside like dead man`s bones. As Jesus refers to them latter on in scripture. They didn`t have that contrite heart that God wants us to have when we turn our lives over to Him when saved and following Him on a daily basis. May we all live each day with His daily guidance.
It is clear Jesus seeks to teach at every opportunity and isn’t concerned about offending
the religious crowd….and yet most of the lessons are for them. What a provocative thing for Jesus to say to the paralytic that your sins are forgiven. The man and others would wonder what sin caused his condition, and so Jesus’ forgiveness does address part of the man’s concern. But I wonder if Jesus says this also to prompt the thinking of the teachers of the law, so He could declare about Himself what they needed to understand and use the healing of the man as the object lesson as it is expressed. Next He goes to Matthew’s house and what an opportunity it affords to minster to the sinners that Jesus has come to save. And yet He uses the Pharisees’ response to teach again and reveal the very purpose why He has come. The question about fasting gives Jesus a chance to teach again and give a first reference to the fact that there will be a time that He will be taken away. And finally picking wheat on the Sabbath: a big no no for the Pharisees, and yet Jesus uses their objection to teach yet again. And there are two points to be made. The Sabbath was made for man to bless him, man was not made for the Sabbath so it could be the restrictive day the Pharisees cast it to be. Jesus also makes it clear that He is Lord of the Sabbath. As the Son of God, Messiah and creator of the world, He is the One who makes the call on what the Sabbath is for.
A group of people had the bold determination to help their friend and a strong faith that he could be healed as they lowered him down from the roof. And Jesus proved to the Pharisees that he had the power to forgive sins by healing the paralyzed man. Jesus came to call sinners to him so they could be saved, and he continues to do so for people today. Let us remember that God is still working to save the souls of the lost when we pray for our family and friends who do not know the Lord.