Day 30 – Tuesday, February 11, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Mark 2

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

A Paralytic is Healed

Matt. 9:1–8; Luke 5:17–26

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ² Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”⁶ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”⁸ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 2:1–12.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus went back to Capernaum. When word got out, He was surrounded by people seeking His help. The house was full, and people even stood outside waiting. Jesus preached the word.
• Four friends brought a man paralyzed to Jesus. They could get inside, so they took off roof tiles and broke through the roof structure. They let the bed down through the ceiling. These details are not shared in the Matthew account.
• Jesus saw their faith and He forgave the paralytic of his sins.
• The scribes were appalled at His blasphemy, because they rejected Him as the Son of God. Jesus knew what they thought and told them that this happened so that they would know the power of Christ possessed since the foundation of the earth.
• He then told the man to take up His bed and walk, which he did. The people were amazed, and the scribes were mortified. How would you respond?

Call of Matthew

Matt. 9:9–13; Luke 5:27–32

¹³ Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. ¹⁴ As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.¹⁵ Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. ¹⁶ And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 2:13–17.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus went out to the shore of the sea in Capernaum and taught. As He finished and began to walk, He saw Levi (Matthew) sitting at the tax office.
• Matthew was a tax collector, a publican, and was hated by all Jews, because he was collecting tax from his own people.
• Matthew followed Him, and they had dinner at Matthew’s house.
• The details of this story are almost identical to the Matthew passage.
• Jesus reminded them that He was sent to heal the sick and sinful, and the “righteous” did not need Him.

Parable of Cloth and Wineskins

Matt. 9:14–17; Luke 5:33–39

¹⁸ The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. ²¹ No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 2:18–22.

Points to Ponder:

• This passage is almost identical to Matthew’s account as well.
• Jesus is asked about fasting and He lets the questioners know that His disciples will fast once He is gone, but that now is not the time.

Controversy Over Sabbath-Work

Matt. 12:1–8; Luke 6:1–5

²³ Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. ²⁴ And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”²⁵ But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: ²⁶ how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”²⁷ And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 2:23–28.

Points to Ponder:

• This final passage also parallels a passage in Matthew.
• Jesus’ disciples picked grain from a field on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were incensed, and asked Jesus about it.
• He referred to David eating the shewbread, and the priests serving on Sabbath. He let them know that this was not a problem. Besides, He was the Lord of the Sabbath.
• His authority overruled the false piety of the Pharisees. Jesus is Lord!

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page.