Mark in March

Finally!  Chapter TWO.  It only took me twelve days to get through Chapter One!  The title may be changed to Mark in March through May!

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹ When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.

Even without technology, good news traveled fast.

² Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, ³ four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.

“….he was preaching God’s word to them.”  God’s word, the Scripture, has always pointed us toward Jesus Christ, therefore, it is safe to say that Jesus was preaching about Himself, probably from the books of the prophets in the Old Testament.  Or, can you imagine listening to the One, in person, who was there when the world was created?  But according to what has been recorded for us, I’m confident that He did not stray from the Scripture.

So… four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.  Hold that thought.

⁴They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

Just imagine… Jesus is preaching and He has the full attention of the crowd.  Suddenly, dust begins to fill the air.  Dirt and clay particles begin falling on Jesus.  Before they knew it, there was a hole in the ceiling big enough for the mat and paralyzed man to be lowered down.  A few of the men in the room closest to Jesus probably reached up and helped by lowering the mat to the floor right in front of Jesus.

 ⁵ Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Seeing their faith.  Not only the faith of the paralyzed man, but the faith of the four men who carried the man, touched Jesus.  But even more than their faith, Jesus knew the repentant heart of the paralyzed man and forgave him.

Two words jumped out at me from this verse:  paralyzed and sins.  Jesus didn’t say, “Be healed,”  He said, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”  Jesus knew that the real paralyzing issue in the man’s life was sin.  Sin in our lives paralyzes our spirit, our mind, our heart, and our body.  Sin renders us useless to God and others, making us a burden instead of a blessing.

⁶ But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ⁷ “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Look out!  Mumbling, grumbling, stinkin’ thinkin’ is going on in the room.  But not by ordinary people…. by leaders in the church who should have been able to recognize the Truth right before them!  But Satan is always lurking in the midst, especially when Jesus is working.  And how sad that these religious leaders allowed themselves to be used by the enemy. 

“Only God can forgive sins!”  Well, hello.  There’s your answer.  Open your eyes and your hearts!  The fact that they did not accept Jesus or recognize the work of God He was doing, reveals their heart.  Religious leaders that belong to the Father would have discerned the Truth and rejoiced.  Point:  there were, are, and always will be, religious leaders who do not belong to The Father.  The Bible refers to them as false prophets and false teachers and warns us to test their teachings against the Word of God.

⁸ Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? ⁹ Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? ¹⁰ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ¹¹ “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

I love it!  Jesus knew.  Immediately.  What they were thinking.  oh wait… Jesus knows what I’m thinking?  Yes, He does and I still love it.  The knowledge of that fact helps me stay accountable.  My best friend reads my mind, hears my thoughts.  What better motivation do I need to keep my thoughts and guard my heart.

Jesus proved His authority to forgive sins.  He told the paralyzed man to stand up, pick up his mat and walk home.  Again, He never said the words, “Be healed!”  Jesus never even touched the man!  Jesus forgave and healed by His authority over sin.  The man who was once paralyzed by sin, was now forgiven and free!

¹² And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Jesus proved that He had the authority to truly forgive sins.  This how sure He was and how committed He was to His reason for being God incarnate, that He was to be sacrificed on the cross for the sin of every person, ever.  On this earth, three years before His actual death and resurrection, the Father, gave Jesus authority over sin because of what He knew Jesus was going to do… pay for our sins by being our sacrifice.  Does God honor our commitment, submission and obedience?  Does God honor our heart toward Him?  Does God honor our love for Him?  Indeed He does!

The same man who could not get through the crowd to get to Jesus, carried on a mat, suddenly could make his way though the crowd after Jesus forgave his sins and he was healed.  When that paralyzed man suddenly JUMPED from his mat and picked it up, the crowd jumped back and made a way for him.  They had never seen anything like this before, because only Jesus had the authority given to Him by the Father because of what Jesus would accomplish on the cross.  Because Jesus was God’s ultimate expression of love.

What does Mark 2:1-12 say to you?

Mark in March

Mark 1:

21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

Jesus went to the church on the Sabbath and taught… like He knew what He was talking about. (Imagine that.)  And His teaching amazed people because He didn’t teach like the teachers of the law who I can just imagine stood and repeated the same thing every Sabbath day.  Jesus actually taught.

23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!”

Are you shocked?  An evil spirit in the church?  Evil spirits have been in the church ever since there was a church, often stirring up trouble.  Sometimes they are even in the pulpit with an agenda to divide the people and destroy what God is doing.

Did the other people present know that the evil spirit was there or did they just think it was a normal person?  Was anyone there close enough to God to discern the evil among them?

25 Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

Jesus knew the evil spirit was present.  When Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man, then the spirit revealed himself by screaming and throwing the man into a fit.  But the demon had to obey Jesus… they have no choice.  That is another indication that Jesus is God… the demons recognize Him and obey Him.

Even the demons believe in God.  However, what Christians have beyond believing in Jesus is a relationship.  We trust God with our lives and depend upon Him for everything.

27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

Jesus brought a new teaching.  How exciting to have been there to hear the scriptures of the prophets of old come to life in a way that filled the longing in their hearts. 

How exciting it is for me, today, to have the scriptures come alive!  No joy or happiness compares with my relationship with Jesus and being so aware that I no longer have a void in my life.  The emptiness is gone; filled up with Jesus!  I will never be alone.

What does Mark 1:21-28 say to you?

Mark in March

Chapter 1

¹⁴ Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.

¹⁵ “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Later, after John was arrested (that’s a whole other post), Jesus was ready.  He’d been baptized with the Holy Spirit; He had been declared fully pleasing to the Father; He had been in the wilderness for forty days, with wild animals being tempted by and stood firm against Satan; and He had been cared for by angels while in the wilderness.  He was ready to go into Galilee to preach God’s Good News!

In verse 15, Jesus speaks of “the time promised by God.” 

This time was promised by God through the prophet Isaiah and again by John.

“The Kingdom of God is near!”

Is this earth currently the Kingdom of God?

NO!

The Kingdom of God is near” means that this earth as we know it is just about finished, done, over.  The Father could say at any moment, “Son, Go get my children!”  World, get ready for Judgment Day!

That’s Good News?  If one didn’t understand who was speaking and what He meant, it would sound like….. doom.

But, praise God, there is a provision for the world….. “repent of your sins and believe the Good News!!”

Jesus Christ, Immanuel, the Messiah is the Good News.  Isn’t it interesting how, three years before His death, burial and resurrection, He is admonishing His listeners to believe?  Hmmm.  That requires faith.  No shocker there.  It’s always been about faith.

Jesus said, “believe the God News.”  Believing takes faith.

“So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6

It takes faith to believe the Good News and the message of the God News about Christ builds our faith… a full circle, so to speak.

And Romans 10:17 says, “Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ.”

What does Mark 1:14-15 say to you.