Mark

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus made His way back to Capernaum.  He may have been back at Simon Peter's house or another; either way, this building was filled up.  This paralytic had 4 really good friends.  These four cared enough about their friend and believed enough in Jesus to get their friend in front of Him.   There was a large problem though; everyone else did also.  These four friends got creative and jumped the line.  This guy was likely a quadriplegic since he was on a mat.  The four friends  put their faith to work; Jesus could see their faith by their works (James would have liked that). 

By faith, they tore a hole in the roof of Peter's house!!  By faith they lowered this man into the presence of Jesus.  Jesus saw 'their' faith, not the paralytic, or, at least, not just the paralytic.  His sins were forgiven because of the that display of faith.  This implies that the man's condition was caused by some sin in his life.  We know this isn't always the case though. 

Its fascinating that the scribes were there in the house among this throng attempting to see Jesus, to be healed by Him.  They were 'reasoning in their hearts'; the word means they were having an internal conversation, but the word also is often used in the context of a disapproval or disagreement.  The reasoning was probably not what was done, but what to do about it.  They had already judged this as blasphemy because only God can forgive sins.  They were correct in their reasoning.  The problem is they started with establishing blasphemy before they applied reason.  Had they started with reasoning, they might have arrived at: 'either this man is God, a blasphemous liar or insane". 

Jesus recognized their response and addressed it.  Anyone can say, "You sins are forgiven."  No man can authenticate this; there's no way to verify.  So, that's pretty easy.  However, to say, "Arise, take up your bed and walk"; that's a lot harder.  In fact, its downright impossible for a blaspheming liar or an insane person.  Only God could pull that off. 

Jesus helped the scribes thought process by adding another element to it.  He turned to the paralytic and told him to stand up, take your bed and go home.  And the man did just that!!  Again, we can only imagine the uproar this caused; an uproar of shock and amazement.  Yet, do you think the scribe believed?  Many glorified God, but there is no indication that the scribe changed his mind. 

Mark 2:13-17

Wherever we see Jesus go, the multitude seems to be there.  Jesus taught them by the sea.  We know this walk along the sea had purpose.  Nothing Jesus did is by accident.  As Jesus is walking by the tax office, He said to Matthew, "Follow me." 

Matthew was a Jew, but you wouldn't know it by the way people looked at him.  He was a tax collector.  This meant he was viewed as a traitor and extortioner; he was despised by the people.  After all, the tax collector worked for the Roman government and exercised all the authority of Rome to make Jews pay their taxes.  The job as tax collector was awarded to the man who put submitted the highest bid stating how much tax he could collect from a town.  The man then collected taxes; he owed the Roman government what was bid, then pocketed everything else collected beyond that amount.  This was their pay.  The more they extorted, the more they made.  A tax collector was automatically an outcast from society, whether had been one previously or not.  Several other things automatically happened when one became a tax collector:

• You were disqualified as a judge; no one would entrust you with justice.
• You were disqualified to appear in court as a witness.  No one trusted your testimony.
• You were excommunicated from the synagogue.  They couldn't imagine God would care about you.
• The disgrace bestowed on you was automatically extended to your family.

Now this just gives you little bit of an idea of how shocking this call to Matthew was.  I can imagine Matthew looking around trying to figure out who Jesus was talking to and finally asking, "Me?"  Again, there had to be gasp from the crowd.  What kind of Rabbi was this?  Who would befriend a tax collector?  And not only that, who would ask a tax collector to follow Him?

Even more astounding, the tax collector didn't hesitate.  He arose and followed Jesus.  The most despised man was also very well off, until then.  He stood and walked away.  This was a man who wanted more, sought out more.  A man who was lonely, broken and unloved who wanted to know real life. 

Mark then transitions to the dining room at Matthew's home where Jesus is eating with sinners and tax collectors.  These guys are social outcasts and Jesus is their friend.  This gathering of misfits followed Jesus. 

The scribes and Pharisees would have been shocked at the association with these sinners and heathen.  They asked Andrew, Peter, John and James why he is associating with these guys.  Jesus heard their question and answered them.  The healthy don't need a doctor.  Only those who knew they were sick needed a doctor.  Matthew and those like him were aware of their sin.  Up until them, they had no offer of redemption.  The Pharisees and scribes would not invite them to know God; they offered nothing but condemnation.  The Pharisees and scribes were a great contrast.  They saw themselves as righteous and in no need of forgiveness.  They had no hunger or thirst for righteousness.  Jesus came not to call the righteous but to call sinners.  Until the self righteous saw their sin, any call from Jesus was useless.  Romans tells us there no one righteous, no not one. 

There's a great contrast here:

• The self-righteous sinner who feels no need for forgiveness.
  • They were the established religious authority and the only known means of getting to God.
  • They looked at other sinful men and judged them beyond redemption.
  • They looked at those who recognized their need for Jesus and despised and ridiculed them for it.
• Then there were the sinners who knew they needed forgiveness.
  • They were nobody special.
  • It took humility to seek Jesus
  • It was a sacrifice to follow Jesus.
  • For the first time in life, they saw a hope for redemption, for a relationship with God.

Mark 2:18-22

The Pharisees and John's disciples were fasting while the followers of Christ did not.  The question was brought to Jesus.  Why the difference?   Jesus answered that the disciples are attendants to the bridegroom and they were not to fast.  It wasn't appropriate.  You didn't fast during a wedding festival, you feasted.  Why would you mourn and fast in the presence of the son of God?   Verse 20 seems to be confirmation that there was to be fasting during the New Testament times; it would be appropriate at times.   The Lord offers to two parables to teach His point:

• New and unshrunk cloth joined to an old garment won't work.  The hole is covers will be made worse when it shrinks and pulls away.
  • You can't fit Jesus into an old religious system.
  • He's not a patch to cover the holes of this old religious system.

• New wine didn't get put in old wineskins.  As the new wine continued to ferment, the inflexible old wineskins will be broken and damaged.  
  • This new wine could only be poured into new wineskins. 
  • It couldn't be held by the old religions system

Jesus wouldn't fit in this old religious system; nor would this old religious system fit in Jesus.  He came to fulfill the law, not do away with it.

Mark 2:23-28

God's law gave the Jews a day of rest; the Sabbath day was a day to rest from your work.  The Pharisees added many definitions to this law in an effort to define work.  For example:

• You could not carry anything with your hands or across your shoulders.  But, you could carry something with the back of your hand, with your foot, elbow, in your ear, hair,.
• You could not tie a not on the Sabbath; the only exception is a woman could tie her girdle.

They had actually created 39 different categories of work.  In each category they defined and parsed what was allowed and what wasn't allowed.  God's law also made provision for the poor by leaving part of the crop for the purpose of gleaning (Deuteronomy 23:25).  This law on gleaning is a form of hospitality.   The problem came when the did this on the Sabbath day.  When the disciples plucked the grain to eat it they had broken at least four of the laws that the Pharisees had added to God's law:

• They had harvested.
• Winnowed
• Threshed
• Prepared a meal

The Pharisees could spot a violation a mile away.  We have to wonder why the Pharisees were following Him around on the Sabbath day.  It appears they were looking for opportunities to make accusations.  They quickly notify Jesus of this apparent violation by His disciples.  In turn, Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David ate the showbread right out of the temple when he was starving.  This too was illegal, but surely they wouldn't accuse David.  No one could eat the consecrated bread but the priest.  Jesus is referring to 1 Sam 21:1-6 when David was on the run from Saul and went to the priests to find food and a weapon. 

The Sabbath was made for man as a form of rest from their labors.  This was a gift from God to be received as a blessing.  The Pharisees had turned this gift into some overwhelming burden.  People couldn't enjoy the rest given on the Sabbath for fear of violating a Pharisaical law.  The law wasn't' given so people could serve it, it was given for the benefit of people.  Therefore, the Son of man is also Lord of the Sabbath.  Like the Sabbath, Jesus was also given for the benefit of mankind.  Since He is the Lord of man, He had the authority over the determination and application of the Sabbath law.

©2018 Doug Ford