Mark 2
2
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
1Several days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the news quickly spread that he was back in town. 2Soon there were so many people crowded inside the house to hear him that there was no more room, even outside the door.
While Jesus was preaching the word of God, 3four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man. 4But when they realized that they couldn’t even get near him because of the crowd, they went up on top of the house and tore away the roof above Jesus’ head. And when they had broken through, they lowered the paralyzed man on a stretcher right down in front of him! 5When Jesus saw the extent of their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are now forgiven.”
6This offended some of the religious scholars who were present, and they reasoned among themselves, 7“Who does he think he is to speak this way? This is blasphemy for sure! Only God himself can forgive sins!”
8Jesus supernaturally perceived their thoughts and said to them, “Why are you being so skeptical? 9Which is easier, to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are now forgiven,’ or, ‘Stand up and walk!’? # 2:9 The answer to Jesus’ question is obvious. It is easy for anyone to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” for that cannot be proven. But if someone were to tell a paralyzed man to stand up, and he didn’t stand up, that would prove the person is a fraud. Jesus didn’t do the “easy thing” without accomplishing the hard thing, the miracle of healing. Forgiveness and healing both flow from Jesus Christ. 10But to convince you that the Son of Man has been given authority to forgive sins, 11I say to this man, ‘Stand up, pick up your stretcher, and walk home.’ ” 12Immediately the man was healed and sprang to his feet in front of everyone and left for home.
When the crowd witnessed this miracle, they were awestruck. # 2:12 The Greek word used here can also mean “shocked into wonderment” or “to be out of their minds” (with amazement). This event teaches us that salvation not only involves the forgiveness of our sins, but gives us the power to rise up and walk. They shouted praises to God and said, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew) to Follow Him
13Jesus went out to walk near Lake Galilee, and a massive crowd gathered, so he taught them. 14As he walked along, he found Levi, the son of Alphaeus, # 2:14 The name Levi means “joined,” “united,” and Levi is the same person as Matthew, who wrote the Gospel bearing his name. Alphaeus means “changing.” It is obvious that Matthew’s allegiance is changing from being a servant of Rome to being joined to Jesus as his future apostle. sitting at a tax booth, collecting taxes. He approached him and said, “Come follow me.” Immediately he got up from his booth and began to follow Jesus.
15Later, Jesus and his disciples went to have a meal with Levi. Among the guests in Levi’s home were many tax collectors and notable sinners sharing a meal with Jesus, for there were many kinds of people who followed him. 16But when the religious scholars and the Pharisees # 2:16 The word Pharisees means “separated ones.” found out that Jesus was keeping company and dining with sinners and tax collectors, # 2:16 These were Jews who worked for the Roman empire to collect taxes and were empowered by Rome to profit greatly by what they collected. they were indignant. So they approached Jesus’ disciples and said to them, “Why is it that someone like Jesus defiles himself by eating with sinners and tax collectors?”
17But when Jesus overheard their complaint, he said to them, “Who goes to the doctor for a cure? Those who are well or those who are sick? I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but those who are sinners and bring them to repentance.”
Jesus Questioned about Fasting
18One time, the disciples of John the Baptizer and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that John’s disciples and disciples of the Pharisees are fasting but your disciples are not?”
19Jesus answered, “How can the sons of the bridal chamber fast when the bridegroom is next to them? As long as the bridegroom is with them they won’t, 20but the days of fasting will come when the Bridegroom is taken from them.
21“And who would mend worn-out clothing with new fabric? When the new cloth shrinks, it will rip, making the tear worse than before. 22And who would pour new wine into an old wineskin? Eventually the wine will ferment and make the wineskin burst, losing everything—the wine will be spilled and the wineskin ruined. Instead, new wine is always poured into new wineskins.”
Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath
23One Sabbath, # 2:23 The Hebrew word for Sabbath comes from shavat, which is the verb “to rest.” What was designed to be a day of rest and intimacy with God and family was now complicated by a host of rules and traditions. Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field of wheat. The disciples were hungry, so they plucked off some heads of grain to eat. 24But when some of the Pharisees saw what was happening, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples shouldn’t be harvesting grain on the Sabbath!”
25Jesus responded, “Haven’t you ever read what King David and his men did when they were hungry? 26They entered the house of God # 2:26 That is, the tabernacle. See 1 Sam. 21:1–6. Ancient Jewish tradition states that David did this on a Sabbath day. See also Lev. 24:5–9. when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread of God’s presence. # 2:26 Or “loaves of presentation.” See Ezek. 44:15–16. They violated the law by eating bread that only the priests were allowed to eat. But there is one here who is even greater than the temple.”
27Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for the sake of people, and not people for the Sabbath. 28For this reason the Son of Man exercises his lordship over the Sabbath.”
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Mark 2: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationMark 2
2
The Healing of a Paralytic. 1#2:1–3:6] This section relates a series of conflicts between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees in which the growing opposition of the latter leads to their plot to put Jesus to death (Mk 3:6). When Jesus returned to Capernaum#Mt 9:2–8; Lk 5:18–26. after some days, it became known that he was at home.#He was at home: to the crowds that gathered in and outside the house Jesus preached the word, i.e., the gospel concerning the nearness of the kingdom and the necessity of repentance and faith (Mk 1:14). 2Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. 3They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5#It was the faith of the paralytic and those who carried him that moved Jesus to heal the sick man. Accounts of other miracles of Jesus reveal more and more his emphasis on faith as the requisite for exercising his healing powers (Mk 5:34; 9:23–24; 10:52). When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6#Scribes: trained in oral interpretation of the written law; in Mark’s gospel, adversaries of Jesus, with one exception (Mk 12:28, 34). Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, 7“Why does this man speak that way?#He is blaspheming: an accusation made here and repeated during the trial of Jesus (Mk 14:60–64). He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?”#Is 43:25. 8Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? 10#But that you may know that the Son of Man…on earth: although Mk 2:8–9 are addressed to the scribes, the sudden interruption of thought and structure in Mk 2:10 seems not addressed to them nor to the paralytic. Moreover, the early public use of the designation “Son of Man” to unbelieving scribes is most unlikely. The most probable explanation is that Mark’s insertion of Mk 2:10 is a commentary addressed to Christians for whom he recalls this miracle and who already accept in faith that Jesus is Messiah and Son of God. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— 11he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” 12He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
The Call of Levi. 13#He taught them: see note on Mk 1:21–45. #4:1. Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. 14#Mt 9:9–13; Lk 5:27–32. As he passed by,#As he passed by: see note on Mk 1:16–20. Levi, son of Alphaeus: see note on Mt 9:9. Customs post: such tax collectors paid a fixed sum for the right to collect customs duties within their districts. Since whatever they could collect above this amount constituted their profit, the abuse of extortion was widespread among them. Hence, Jewish customs officials were regarded as sinners (Mk 2:16), outcasts of society, and disgraced along with their families. He got up and followed him: i.e., became a disciple of Jesus. he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 15While he was at table in his house,#In his house: cf. Mk 2:1; Mt 9:10. Lk 5:29 clearly calls it Levi’s house. many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 16#This and the following conflict stories reflect a similar pattern: a statement of fact, a question of protest, and a reply by Jesus. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17Jesus heard this and said to them [that], “Those who are well do not need a physician,#Do not need a physician: this maxim of Jesus with its implied irony was uttered to silence his adversaries who objected that he ate with tax collectors and sinners (Mk 2:16). Because the scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous, they were not capable of responding to Jesus’ call to repentance and faith in the gospel. but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
The Question About Fasting.#This conflict over the question of fasting has the same pattern as Mk 2:16–17; see notes on Mt 9:15; 9:16–17. 18The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.#Mt 9:14–17; Lk 5:33–39. People came to him and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast#Can the wedding guests fast?: the bridal metaphor expresses a new relationship of love between God and his people in the person and mission of Jesus to his disciples. It is the inauguration of the new and joyful messianic time of fulfillment and the passing of the old. Any attempt at assimilating the Pharisaic practice of fasting, or of extending the preparatory discipline of John’s disciples beyond the arrival of the bridegroom, would be as futile as sewing a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak or pouring new wine into old wineskins with the resulting destruction of both cloth and wine (Mk 2:21–22). Fasting is rendered superfluous during the earthly ministry of Jesus; cf. Mk 2:20. while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. 22Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”
The Disciples and the Sabbath.#This conflict regarding the sabbath follows the same pattern as in Mk 2:18–22. 23As he was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.#Mt 12:1–8; Lk 6:1–5. 24At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”#Dt 23:25. 25He said to them, “Have you never read what David did#Have you never read what David did?: Jesus defends the action of his disciples on the basis of 1 Sm 21:2–7 in which an exception is made to the regulation of Lv 24:9 because of the extreme hunger of David and his men. According to 1 Samuel, the priest who gave the bread to David was Ahimelech, father of Abiathar. when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? 26How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?”#1 Sm 21:2–7; Lv 24:5–9. 27Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man,#The sabbath was made for man: a reaffirmation of the divine intent of the sabbath to benefit Israel as contrasted with the restrictive Pharisaic tradition added to the law. not man for the sabbath.#2 Mc 5:19. 28#The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath: Mark’s comment on the theological meaning of the incident is to benefit his Christian readers; see note on Mk 2:10. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
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