Among mankind, forgiveness is often seen as a sign of weakness. Instead, revenge is looked upon favorably as if it were true justice, tit-for-tat retaliation. In reality, this has destroyed people, marriages, families, and countries. People who live this way tend to think that God lives that way too.
With this in mind, we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus’ unexpected declaration of forgiveness sent shock waves running through the house, the village, the nation, and finally through the world. Forgiveness is perhaps the most powerful thing in the world. It is costly, though. Jesus is on His way to paying the full price, God offering nothing less than the best.
How has forgiving someone or being forgiven changed you?
Read Mark 2:1-13
Jesus “seeing their faith” forgave the paralytic’s sins.
What did Jesus see?
Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins and then to prove to the scribes he, “the Son of Man” has authority on earth to forgive sins He healed the paralytic for all to see.
Consider the different responses:
Scribes - think Jesus is blaspheming God
Paralytic - arose and went into the presence of all
All - amazed and glorified God
Even at this early point in the study of the book of Mark it should be obvious to you that Jesus is not some ordinary or “good” teacher or just some prophet. He is “the Son of Man,” which comes from Daniel 7. Jesus is telling everybody I am the Messiah. I am the representative of God’s true people. He proves this over and over. Pay attention. Wake up! What are you going to do with Jesus? If you are wise you will give your life to Him and become His disciple.
Read Mark 2: 14-17.
Levi collected taxes for the Roman puppet government the Jews detested so much. He worked for Herod, someone who thought of himself as king of the Jews. So for Jesus to feast with people like Levi—-people known locally as “sinners,” an easy label to stick on those who didn’t conform either to the strict religious requirements of the law or the strict political expectations of opposition to Herod and Rome—-was simply outrageous to the Jews.
So why does Jesus do this?
Read Mark 2:18-22.
The main times when Jews of Jesus’ day fasted were days that reminded them of the great disasters of old, like the time when the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C.
In response to the people’s question about fasting Jesus paints a picture of a wedding. The Old Testament, too, used the image of God being a bridegroom and Israel being His bride. How is Jesus thus responding to the people’s challenge?
Jesus’ teachings and actions often couldn’t be fitted into how his fellow Jews thought about what God would and should do. What do the two images of old and new communicate about Jesus’ kingdom ministry?
For example, Jesus was saying in 1:15 that repentance was needed (which was often accompanied by fasting by the Jews in Jesus’ day). Then here Jesus says that feasting, not fasting is appropriate. How do these work together (repentance and feasting) in Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom of God?
Trent Dean
dean008@gmail.com