Mark chapter 2

Jesus heals a paralyzed man. He calls Matthew the tax collector to be his disciple. He discusses fasting and the Sabbath.

 


 

JESUS HEALS A PARALYZED MAN

 

VERSE 1. When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.

 

VERSE 2. Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.

 

VERSE 3. Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him.

 

VERSE 4. When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.

they removed the roof. In those days, the roof consisted of crossbeams covered with thatch and hardened mud.

 

VERSE 5. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

seeing their faith. Faith is more than interior beliefs, although it starts there. Faith compels us to go do things. We are to have Action Faith.

your sins are forgiven. The people were shocked by Jesus saying this.

 

VERSE 6. But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

 

VERSE 7. “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

blasphemies. Theoretically, this was a capital offense.

 

VERSE 8. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts?

 

VERSE 9. Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’

 

VERSE 10. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—

Son of Man. The Lord Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. Read more »

 

VERSE 11. “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”

When the Lord Jesus encounters a problem, he speaks directly to it. He commands the problem itself. The Gospel of Mark has many such narratives. Read more »

 

VERSE 12. He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

JESUS CALLS MATTHEW THE TAX COLLECTOR TO BE HIS DISCIPLE

 

VERSE 13. He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them.

 

VERSE 14. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.

 

VERSE 15. He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him.

tax collectors. Tax collectors were despised for their presumed dishonesty and for collaborating with the Roman Empire.

sinners. Sinners were those who notoriously disregarded religious law.

 

VERSE 16. The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

the Pharisees. They were the leaders of a popular reform movement.

 

VERSE 17. When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels »

 

JESUS IS QUESTIONED ABOUT FASTING

 

VERSE 18. John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

 

VERSE 19. Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can’t fast.

 

VERSE 20. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

 

VERSE 21. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.

 

VERSE 22. No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins.”

fresh wineskins. Let’s be fresh wineskins! Let’s be open to Jesus Christ and the newness of life that he offers.

 

JESUS IS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE SABBATH

 

VERSE 23. He was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.

 

VERSE 24. The Pharisees said to him, “Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”

that which is not lawful. The question of which activities were permitted on the Sabbath was extensively debated in those days.

 

VERSE 25. He said to them, “Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who were with him?

Did you never read. This is called a “counter-question.” When you are asked a question, reply by asking another question. This was common in dialogues and debates of those days.

 

VERSE 26. How he entered into God’s house at the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the show bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him?”

 

VERSE 27. He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

 

VERSE 28. Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

 


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MARK

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality, Miracles

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.