MARK 2
JESUS HEALS A PARALYZED MAN + CHALLENGES THE PHARISEES
One day, when Jesus is speaking to a large crowd, a few men carry their paralyzed friend to see Him for healing. Because the crowd is so large, they are not able to get to Jesus, so they remove part of the roof and lower their friend through the ceiling! The men firmly believe in the healing power of Jesus and are desperate to get near Him.
When Jesus sees the man being lowered, Jesus tells him that his sins are forgiven. The Pharisees and religious leaders present question Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, an act that can only be done by God. Jesus knows the resistance He will face from the Pharisees and asks them if it would be easier for Him to forgive sins or to heal the paralyzed man, making him able to walk. After puzzling the Pharisees with this question, Jesus tells the paralyzed man to stand up and walk home. Suddenly, the man is able to stand and praises God for his miraculous healing.
Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to become a disciple. Levi agrees to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Levi throws a grand feast in his house, inviting Jesus and other tax collectors. Culturally, being a tax collector was not a desirable career and often seen as dishonorable. Levi is most likely disciple and Gospel writer Matthew, called by a different name.
The Pharisees question Jesus, asking why He would eat and socialize with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus responds by saying that those who are not sick do not need a physician, meaning that He came to call the sinners, not the righteous, to repentance.
The Pharisees ask Jesus why His followers do not fast like the other religious people, instead they feast and drink. Using the analogy of a bride at her wedding, Jesus explains that His presence with His disciples is a time of celebration, not fasting. Jesus also expresses a sense of newness, explaining that you would not rip up a new garment to repair an old garment or waste new wine by putting it in an old wineskin. Jesus is emphasizing the newness and joy that He will bring to His people!
Jesus and His disciples collect wheat on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees question the lawfulness of this practice, condemning them for not obeying the law to rest on the Sabbath day. Jesus responds that the Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath. This response challenges the rigid religiosity of the Pharisees, highlighting the idea that the day of rest was a gift from God, not a legalistic practice.
