Mark 2 Commentary

Mark 2 Commentary

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“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Verse 7.  The teachers of the law haven’t asked a question to be answered. It is a statement that only God, and God alone can forgive sins. Of course, there is no blasphemy here because Jesus is God – a fact the Pharisees don’t know. See how he addresses the patient: “Son, your sins are forgiven”. He is the Father.

We have 3 sets of disciples in this chapter: the disciples of Jesus, the disciples of John, and the disciples of the Pharisees. Interesting! Man’s search for God means there are numerous groups or search paths. Our own world isn’t different.

John’s team isn’t a problem. In John’s words: “He must increase, but I must decrease”. The Pharisees are a different class. They question Jesus’ authority at every point. Saints must check that they are disciples of Jesus and not disciples of some human being. And if we must have leaders, let them reduce – ever reducing, as Jesus increases, ever increasing. Then you know you are in safe hands.

Yes, the paralyzed man receives healing but there is more to his healing. It is what Jesus came to do: to heal the soul. So we see the tax collectors and the sinners receive healing of the soul. Levi is one of them.

Sin has left humanity in a terrible state. The Son of Man is here to heal this terrible condition.

We doubt if the teachers of the law and the Pharisees understood the teaching on “New Wine in New Wine Skins”. I think we do. We have a new dispensation; a new King, new rules for the new kingdom, and new kingdom subjects. Everything changes.

And why not? The Sabbath must have a new definition in the new kingdom!

From our privileged positions, we can see how the Pharisees struggled with the thought that a new phase we call the New Testament was well and truly in sight. It remains a fact that humanity still struggles to cope with the fact that the new King demands that everything changes about and within us.

But the saint must know he or she is a new wineskin into which all these kingdom values can be kept smoothly and safely. If you have struggles with kingdom values you probably must visit the palace for a better wine skin! Ponder.

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