Mark 2:1-28
Notes
Transcript
Mark 2:1-28
Mark 2:1-28
Last week, we finished up Mark 1. We talked about the fact that this book is written as a sermon preached to the Gentiles in Rome, as opposed to a story.
Jesus is starting his ministry around the city of Capernaum on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was interrupted in the middle of the synagogue while he was teaching. He rebuked the demon and astonished the religious leaders. He taught as one with authority, explaining the meaning of the passages, not just the words on the page.
We hear the word “Immediately” or “At Once” 40 times thruout this book, everything is explained bang, bang, bang.
Simon Peter’s mother in law is healed of a grave illness. Then the multitudes are healed after evening that Sabbath day. I said last week, and misspoke about Jesus breaking the Jewish law. He didn’t ever break Moses’ laws, but He did break the Pharisaical laws. The extra Jewish laws that were added to oppress the people for power’s sake.
After going all night healing and driving out demons, the morning came and nobody could find Jesus. He awoke well before the dawn and got alone and prayed. It’s important we take that time, isn’t it? I woke up really early this week one day and couldn’t get praise songs out of my head. 3am and I’m singing in my head all morning...the enemy tried to stomp on that whole day. It’s going to happen. Get in the habit of starting your day alone with the Lord. You and your spouse should have alone time apart with the Lord. Go to your corners, and then come out swinging. Like Batman and Robin. Back to back, against the world.
That next morning, the leper came to Jesus and asked what?
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
He fell down in worship before Jesus and said basically the same thing the demon said: “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The demon said it as a jab to Jesus. This man said it as a humble man seeking the Healer of Healers.
Dave Frey, the lead singer for Sidewalk Prophets on Sunday night said “God doesn’t fix you. Jesus doesn’t fix you. He does more than that. He makes all things NEW AGAIN.” I agree with that statement.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
He makes ALL THINGS NEW. The things we think are broken become new. Not fixed. New. It’s never the same. See the people were looking for signs. Nobody knows the Savior like the hurting. The prideful are blinded. Which leads us into Mark 2.
1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
I’ve been in the synagogue in Capernaum. They don’t know where this house was in particular, but there is speculation that Jesus may have been in that synagogue when this happened.
People were gathering, and the main reason why there wasn’t much more room here is because the religious leaders were packing the house out. That’s what Luke 5 tells us anyway. They all wanted to see this if Jesus was for real, or full of hot air.
Needless to say, this created a problem, right? Most of you know this story
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
The roofs of these churches were made like concrete. These friends broke thru the roof. They had to get him to Jesus. Most times when I have heard teaching on a passage like this, they ask if you have friends like this.
I want to ask you all. Are you one of these friends? Would you move mountains for them? Would you carry them to the rooftop and hammer way at the roof? This wasn’t someone who was in an urgent accident. This was a man who had been afflicted.
These people had just heard of Jesus, and this wasn’t a test to see if Jesus could, it was just like the leper in the last chapter. They knew Jesus was able. They loved this man so much, if anyone could heal him, it was Jesus.
Are you that kind of friend? They risked embarrassment, didn’t they? What if Jesus said “Go away?” What story would we have today? Who do you know who needs to be brought to Jesus? What would you be willing to risk?
Embarrassment is what keeps us from most things, can we be honest about that? Not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings, to tell them the truth. Not being willing to risk the relationship damage? Would the break in the relationship be worth them turning to Jesus? They had so much hope!! How does Jesus respond to them?
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus marveled at these friends, in not just their love, but their FAITH in Him. And Jesus responds with “Son, your sins are forgiven.” How was this to help anything? Is every malady sin? Blindness, deaf, mute, paralysis, leprocy? It was believed to be sin that caused them. Divine punishment.
How long was the pause in what Jesus said? We don’t know...these religious leaders knew what Jesus was saying. He was equaling himself with God the Father. What was his sin?
What difference does it make, what his sin was. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Was sin the reason his friends brought him? NO, it was because they cared for his life, and a life more abundantly.
Sin is the problem. Sin paralyzes us, keeps us in the realm of the dead. Jesus brings us freedom from the shackles of this world.
Nothing was said out loud by these leaders. Their minds were ablaze. V8 says:
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Now, I’ve always read verse 9 like this: Which is easer to say? But there’s punctuation for a reason. There’s a pause in the speech. Jesus isn’t saying, for us, which is it easier to say...but what is easier for us to hear? Our sins are forgiven? OR, Arise, take up your bed and walk?
We understand get up and walk, right? It’s hard for us to understand the “your sins are forgiven” part, isn’t it? Why is that? Why is it so hard for us to hear “your sins are forgiven?” Is it because we know who we are? You bet it is. We want to hear: you can do it all yourself. It’s what the Pharisees would say, isn’t it?
I’ll ask again, who was represented in the majority that was inside the house? The religious leaders, right? Even knowing their thoughts were read by Jesus, it says how many were amazed and glorified God? All. Even the Pharisees gave glory to God, as confused as they were.
On Monday nights, we’re going thru the book of Daniel right now in our men’s group. We spent a lot of time in Daniel 7. Actually, we’re taking a lot of time in all of Daniel right now. Jesus uses a phrase here that harkens back to Daniel 7:13-14
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
This is what would have really blown the minds of the scribes and Pharisees that were there that evening afternoon. Who is this carpenter to speak like this? They had never seen anything like this before. Healing after healing, demon after demon. Teaching with authority, explaining the text. They could do nothing but glorify God. What happened next? Verse 13 says:
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
Now, Levi is who? Matthew. In Matthew 9, he identifies himself. What is his profession? He’s a tax collector. Were they upstanding citizens? No, they were looked upon as traitors, and often took advantage of their positions to steal money from their fellow Jews. They served Rome and were outcast from Jewish society.
Why would Jesus want a man like Matthew with Him? He knew they would need an accountant, right? And Matthew must have been honorable in his craft. Jesus was now building a following of disciples, and Jesus said “Matthew, we’re going to your house to eat.”
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
The pharisees dared not approach this man. Who were these sinners? Scripture doesn’t say. Who do you think they were? How would you describe sinners today? Give me some examples. Throw out some christianese words.
Can you sum them all up in one word? Into one group of people? Us, right? He was eating with “Those People.” He was eating with us. He still dines with us. We’ll be taking communion today together, we’ll celebrate this meal.
Now, Jesus just got done hearing what they were saying in their hearts, do you think He wouldn’t hear what they said out loud? Nope!
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
What’s the difference between Jesus and us? Paul said: 1 Cor 15:33
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
We will be corrupted if we keep bad council. It’s a battle of attrition. Do you know what that word means? It means to wear you down. Jesus had a resolve we don’t have...but you know what? He can give it to us. Do you think Jesus was listening to every juicy morsel that was being slewn about? No way. They came to be with Him because He was different.
I’ll bet they watched their mouths, spoke civilized, probably for the first time in years. Maybe ever. They knew something Holy was in their midst. When people are around us, do they feel that Holiness? Do you hold them to it? Do they hear your words and say: Anyone else would have cussed right there, but you didn’t.
Those of us who have found Jesus and put our faith in Him are no longer in need of the physician. Like I talked about last week, if a doctor does amazing work, what do we do? We trumpet them to everyone, right? We should be calling the sinners to repentence. Do we? Last weekend, some of us here did at Hills Alive. It was glorious. I pray for an awakening in each of us.
It comes down to what we tolerate in our lives? That’s what wears us down. One thing, leads to something bigger, until everything is exposed.
Now, there is a transition here. The people are not only following him around, but the Pharisees seem to be there every step of the way also.
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
As strange as John was, he was known to be a man who took the Lord seriously. They would fast regularly. The Pharisees would fast often, in Luke 18 we read of a parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector that went up to pray. Luke 18:10-14
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
If they fasted 2x per week, they were considered above average in their righteousness according to their peers. When were the people to fast in Mosaic law? On the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is that day. Any other time was voluntary. When you are mourning, it would definitely be appropriate. Jesus is breaking a “tradition” law, not a Mosaic one.
Jesus responds with this:
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Was there a time when you were forbidden to fast? In the Talmud, the oral tradition...since Jesus is being confronted with “traditional law” He answers with “traditional law.” The Talmud says there is one time when a person was allowed to forgo a fast. It was during a wedding ceremony. What are we doing at a wedding ceremony? How do we feel? We’re joyful, right? It’s not a time of mourning, it’s a time of rejoicing of a new life together.
Verses 21-22 are explained by exactly that notion. Jesus was doing something new. The traditions were made to keep the people in line. Jesus is renewing the covenant. Not “do this or you’ll die.” That was not the intent of the Law. What’s the intent of the Law? Some of you kids know it: It’s to But “do this and YOU WILL LIVE!” It’s a huge difference.
23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
The Sabbath was a Mosaic law, was it not? Exodus says many times, keep the Sabbath. It makes me take that time seriously myself. I need that day of rest, we all do. But what are they doing on the Sabbath? Work? Kids, can anyone give me a scientific definition of work?
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In physics, work is the transfer of energy that occurs when a force moves an object over a distance.
Are the disciples doing work? Oooh, they’re moving the heads of grain from the stalk to their mouths. Isn’t that the work Moses forbid?
Is it? Jesus said in Matt 12:11
11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
Is unlawful to eat on the Sabbath? Do doctors not do work on the Sabbath? If a child is born on the Sabbath, is there nobody there to render aid? Sorry guys, you’ll just have to wait till tomorrow...What about the briss? 8th day was the circumcision...what if that fell on the Sabbath? Break one law to uphold another? Jesus, help us here as we close:
25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Did Jesus ever stop serving? NEVER. Even on the Sabbath. He is the Lord of the Sabbath...He didn’t need the rest. WE DO! The Sabbath was made for us to spend time in communion with the Lord. How do you define work? When I was shearing sheep, my day of work wasn’t done until I had a shower and had eaten dinner. Both of those chores were work to me on those days. I get what the Pharisees are saying...when does the work end?
Bless the Lord with your time. Give your tithe, AND your time. More and more is being found that lack of rest is killing us. I need to take it seriously myself. Like most of you, I struggle to sleep. I’m burnt at both ends regularly...I love it, I truly do, but it takes it’s toll.
Take Sabbath rest seriously. Make it a priority. Show your kids that the almighty dollar doesn’t own you. If we’re owned by our schedule, how will we ever be able to be the friends that go and break open a roof to heal a friend? How can we sit with them. How can we be show strength to people when we are surrounded by sinners in our every day life?
Communion - Worship team.
