Mark 2

This reading is Mark 2.

The story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man is powerful on many levels.  There is the dedication of the friends who went to great lengths to bring the man to Jesus, even carrying him to the top of the house to lower him through the flat roof. 

There is Jesus’ compassion for the man, forgiving his sins because He knew that was a bigger problem than his paralyzed state.  Consider how the world focuses so much more on physical healing than spiritual healing.  Of course we want to heal people physically, but if they don’t get healed spiritually by following Jesus then their eternity will mean separation from God in Hell.

Then there is Jesus’ implicit claim to be God.  As the teachers of the law rightly noted, to forgive sins as Jesus did was to claim to be God.  Jesus knew their thoughts and explained how his power to forgive sins was even greater than his power to heal.  Then, for good measure, He healed the man completely.  

V. 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!”

Can you imagine how the healed man felt that day?  Going from being paralyzed and convicted by his sins to being able to walk and being completely forgiven?  Where did his life go from there?  One day in Heaven believers in Christ will meet this man and many other people from the Bible and be able to hear “the rest of the story.” 

Jesus was criticized for dining with sinners and the hated tax collectors (Jews who profited greatly by collecting taxes for the Roman Empire).  I find one of the challenges of being a Christian is to interact with non-Christians socially so we can develop relationships and share the Gospel of Jesus with them.  It is too easy to shrink back solely into the Christian community where I am more comfortable. 

V. 17 teaches how Jesus came for sinners, not the righteous (though we are all sinners, which means He came for everyone who will repent and believe in him).  Parts of the church teach the lie that Jesus came to make us prosperous or to just tell us to help the poor.  Those aren’t bad things, of course, but He came primarily to save lost sinners. 

Any comments or questions about this chapter? 

The next reading is Mark 3.