Sermon Tone Analysis

*Mark 2:1-5…* And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

*Commentary*

Prior to chapter two Jesus had been traveling all over the Galilean countryside preaching the kingdom of God, healing sicknesses, and driving out demons.

In 2:1 he had returned to Capernaum where he began his ministry.

Verse 1 says that he was “at home” implying that he was in his own home, but he was from Nazareth, so he wasn’t actually in his own home.

The Greek text says he was in “a home” or “a certain home.”

It is likely that he was in Peter and Andrew’s home again given that he was in Capernaum where they lived.

Verse 2 says he was preaching, for many were gathered there seeking his authoritative words and healing abilities.

In v. 3 a man is brought to Jesus on a bed where he obviously was consigned due to his paralysis.

Those bringing him couldn’t get through the large crowd of people who were gathered in the home, so they went up to the roof, dug through the ceiling, and lowered the paralytic to where Jesus was.

This would have been simple in those days, for houses had easy access to the roofs via a staircase, and the ceilings were overlaid with sod which covered the wooden beams.

The house could contain no more than about 50-75 people while Jesus preached.

In v. 4, in all the commotion Jesus stopped preaching to look up at the tumult, and he probably smiled while the man was lowered onto the floor.

And seeing their faith, he looked at the man, called him “child” (which would signify that his faith made him a son of God), and openly forgave him of his sins in v. 5. William Barclay notes that the Rabbis had a saying in those days: “There is no sick man healed of his sickness until all his sins have been forgiven.”

Therefore, Jesus, in accordance with his divine nature and ability to forgive sins, forgave the man of all his sins in route to healing him of his infirmity.

The man’s faith that Jesus could heal him brought life to his paralyzed body.

He was then able to stand up and walk home.

But it must be noted in this particular case that faith in Jesus’ ability to heal is what brought about the forgiveness of his sins.

The fact that Jesus would forgive the man’s sins and subsequently heal him points to the fact that his sin is what caused his infirmity.

This isn’t always the case, but sin is certainly one of the causes of our infirmities.

Augustine said that one need not be paralyzed bodily, however, to be paralyzed inwardly.

Sin ravages our souls from the moment we draw a breath, but our chronic sins can also afflict us physically until the point at which we repent.

*Food for Thought*

Not all of our physical maladies are the direct result of some sin in our lives.

Some are, some aren’t.

In John 9:1-7 a man was blind not from sin but so that God’s work might be shown to all.

That’s why Jesus healed him –  to display his power.

In the Book of Job God angrily rebuked Job’s friends for not only believing that all suffering was a direct result of blatant and~/or un-confessed sin in a person’s life, but for attempting to convince Job of the same thing.

In Job’s case God was working through his misfortunes to prove a point to Satan.

The fact is, some illnesses /are/ the result of sin in a person’s life, but not all physical maladies are.

We must examine our lives regularly, confess our sins, and determine why we sometimes suffer as we do.

*Mark 2:6-12…* Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak thus?

It is blasphemy!

Who can forgive sins but God?” 8 And at once Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts?

9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.”

12 And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

*Commentary*

In v. 6 the scribes, experts in the Law, were there to observe and listen to Jesus’ preaching.

They were the ones who had been humiliated when Jesus first came into the Capernaum synagogue in 1:21.

After all, when Jesus spoke that day the crowd was both frightened and amazed at his teaching in comparison to the flimsy words of the scribes.

They paled in comparison to Jesus, the “real deal.”

So now the scribes were following Jesus’ ministry to see more.

It’s almost as if, in their humiliation, they were seeking something in his words to trip him up and discredit him.

So, when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic they had their accusation.

The interesting thing about their accusation is that they pondered it in their hearts without saying a word.

But Jesus knew even their thoughts in v. 8 and made them known to all.

If Jesus was in fact speaking blasphemy, and if the scribes could prove it, the Jewish Law prescribed death by stoning to blasphemers – those who slandered God (cf.

Lev.

24:16).

Of course this is exactly the charge that was eventually made about Jesus, and because the Jews couldn’t enforce their own death penalty by stoning, they went to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, to have Jesus crucified – the Roman’s form of torture and execution.

In v. 9 Jesus set out to prove his authority to forgive sins, thus equating himself with God.

Any charlatan could say he could forgive sins, but Jesus asked them, “Which is easier?

Me to forgive sins or for me to tell this man to get up and walk?”

So in v. 10 Jesus proved his ability to forgive and to heal by doing both for all to see.

And in v. 11 the paralytic did exactly what Jesus told him to do by getting off of his bed and walking home.

He was God, and he did forgive sins.

In calling himself the “Son of Man” Jesus equated himself with God once again in v. 10.

The “Son of Man” was seen by Daniel (7:13-14) 550 years before Jesus as one who was given “dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples and nations might serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

Truly Jesus could forgive sins, for had been preaching that the Kingdom had come.

In v. 12 “amazed” means to be “stunned beyond description” after the man actually got up and walked away.

Even those who doubted stood in disbelief over what had transpired.

This episode proved that Jesus could forgive sins.

It didn’t matter to the scribes, however, because they refused to believe.

They would only believe what they wanted to believe, even after they’d witnessed the miracle.

Miracles just won’t sway those who refuse to be taught the truth.

*Food for Thought*

            Faith brings us to Christ.

Our faith in His power and in His authority to forgive sins brings us to him to “seal the deal” by granting us a pardon and thus saving us from God’s wrath.

And those who come to Christ are those that have been drawn to Christ by the Father (cf.

John 6:44).

Jesus Christ, like he did with the paralytic, will raise them up to life eternal in heaven.

It comes by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, and results in eternal life with God.

*Mark 2:13-17…* He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them.

14 And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.”

And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he sat at the table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.

16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

*Commentary*

            Once again Jesus left the house in Capernaum and went out by the Sea of Galilee.

As always a crowd followed him there while he taught them.

Notice once again that Jesus, in showing his love for the people, continually taught them and preached to them while he was here.

This is what the love of Jesus looked like while he was alive.

It consisted of instruction in the truth which healed the sin-laden souls of those who believed in the content of his words.

As he was walking along and teaching the crowd that followed him he passed by a man named Levi, the son of Alphaeus.

The parallel account in the Gospel of Matthew calls Levi “Mathew.”

Matthew was a Jewish man who had gone to work for the Roman Empire collecting taxes.

When a Jew like Levi (Matthew) entered the service of tax collection he was regarded as an outcast from Jewish society and synagogue, for he would be considered a traitor and a disgrace to both Judaism and his family.

Tax-collectors in Palestine were considered to be the vilest of people ranking right alongside murderers and thieves.

Levi was a customs agent of sorts, and these tax-collectors usually exacted far more tax than what was actually required by Rome.

Levi sat at the tax booth on the outskirts of Capernaum on the main trade route from Damascus where fisherman would enter the city with their catch.

He exacted a toll on incoming fish from local fisherman around the Sea of Galilee.

This is of course where Peter, Andrew, James, and John worked, so it’s very likely that they knew Levi quite well.

As the crowd following Jesus passed by Levi’s tax booth Jesus interrupted his preaching and called out to him, “Follow me,” and Levi inexplicably left his work and followed Jesus on demand.

This must have amazed the crowds, not only that Jesus would call such a man but that he would follow.

But he not only followed Jesus on demand, he also had him over for dinner in v. 15 along with his tax-collecting friends.

Whoever they were, they were considered the rabble of the area.

They were so “sinful” that the scribes (the pompous experts of the Jewish Law) took notice and commented that Jesus’ own character should be questioned because he would actually eat with such vile people.

But in v. 17 Jesus answered their concerns by telling them that he didn’t come to help those who thought well of themselves, he came to help those who knew they were sick.

This is why Jesus was eating in the home of Levi, the vile traitorous tax-collector, and his co-workers and friends.

They needed salvation, and Jesus came to grant it to them.