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Summary

Mark 2:1–12 – Healing the Paralytic

What happens:
When Jesus returns to Capernaum, people hear he is home and gather so densely that there is no room even outside the door. Four men carry a paralyzed friend on a mat. They cannot reach Jesus, so they remove part of the roof and lower the man on his mat in front of Jesus. Jesus sees their faith and says, “Your sins are forgiven.” Some teachers of the law think he is blaspheming. To prove his authority, Jesus says, “Get up, take your mat, go home.” The man does so, and everyone is amazed, praising God and saying they have never seen anything like this.

What it means:
Jesus has authority to forgive sins—a power only God possesses—and he demonstrates that authority by healing the paralytic. He also honors the faith of friends whose determination brought the man to him, showing the importance of communal support in bringing people to Jesus.


Mark 2:13–17 – Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Sinners

What happens:
Jesus goes out beside the sea and sees Levi son of Alphaeus at his tax collector’s booth. He calls him to follow, and Levi gets up and follows Jesus. At Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners eat with Jesus and his disciples. When the teachers of the law complain, Jesus says, “Healthy people do not need a doctor—sick people do. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

What it means:
Jesus reaches out to those labeled outcasts by society, calling a tax collector to be a disciple to show his grace extends to everyone. His association with sinners demonstrates that his mission is to bring repentance and healing to broken lives.


Mark 2:18–22 – Questions About Fasting

What happens:
Some people ask Jesus why his disciples do not fast as John’s disciples and the Pharisees do. Jesus replies, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? They will fast when the bridegroom is taken away.” He adds, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment or puts new wine into old wineskins. The patch will tear away and the wine will be spilled. New wine must be put into new wineskins.”

What it means:
Jesus teaches that his arrival brings a new era. His disciples’ practices cannot be constrained by old religious forms. New life in him requires fresh structures that can contain and support transformation.


Mark 2:23–28 – Lord of the Sabbath

What happens:
Jesus and his disciples walk through grainfields on the Sabbath, and the disciples begin to pick heads of grain. The Pharisees accuse them of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus replies, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry—how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread?” He then says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

What it means:
Jesus affirms that human need takes precedence over ritual regulations and that he himself has authority to interpret the Sabbath. His statement that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath points to his divine role in fulfilling God’s purposes for rest and worship.


Application

  • Turning to Jesus brings both forgiveness of sins and healing of life’s deepest needs
  • Faith often includes the support and action of a community working together
  • Jesus reaches out to those others reject, welcoming sinners to repentance
  • New life in Christ cannot be limited by old religious structures; it demands fresh understanding
  • Jesus holds authority over the Sabbath, showing that compassion and mercy are central to his kingdom

Bible

1And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

3And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

13And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

15And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

17When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

18And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

19And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, 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 shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

21No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

23And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

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