MARK

Mark Chapter 2

• Mark 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

Noised meaning, the word got around that Jesus was in a certain house.

• Mark 2:2 And 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.

This is how we should desire to hear the word of God. Our churches should be filled to capacity, we should be lining up to get in like they do at the football stadiums. How much greater is the word of God than a football game that is here today and gone tomorrow.

The word of God abides forever. I read an article on Chuck Smith about how he got started preaching. He started out trying to come up with 3 topical sermons a week. Then finally after reading a book about studying the bible verse by verse, he decided to try that. The result was his church started doubling in attendance. There are still people that want to hear the word of God.  There are now Calvary Chapel churches everywhere. 

Jesus was a teacher and we too should try not to emphasize preaching over teaching. Teaching the word of God is vital to keep us from being deceived. Now we are in the days where Sunday School is a thing of the past. We get very little verse by verse teaching and it is badly needed.

Notice Jesus did many miracles but also preached the word. We need both, not emphasize one over the other. The Word was the main focus and the healing came to confirm the word spoken. Signs are to follow those that believe and that surely should accompany the word not replace the word. 

• Mark 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

Here was one so sick that four men had to carry him.

• Mark 2:4 And 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.

They were so determined to help their friend that they started taking apart the roof to get the sick to Jesus. If they had not believed Jesus would heal their friend, they would not have gone to all that trouble. Their priority was getting their friend healed not worrying about private property rights. I can imagine what would happen if we tried this today.

• Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Notice Jesus saved the sinner as well as healed the sick. They went together, side by side. It goes along with the book of James chapter 5. "The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he has committed sins, it shall be forgiven him."

We cannot say that there is no more healing today or else we would have to say that there is no more saving the lost. Naturally I do not know why some are healed and others are not. Neither do I know why some are saved and others can't seem to believe for salvation.

Some are saved from sin but are not healed physically. Only God has those answers. All we can go by is what the scripture says. In one place, Jesus said "According to your faith, be it unto you." Perhaps we receive what we believe Him for, I don't know. We just need to keep studying the scriptures, all of them, so that we can come to the conclusion on scripture alone and not personal experience or someone's opinion. I remember hearing someone that witnessed many miracles, say that they didn't know why some never received a miracle although they too sought it. We just don't know.

I do know that salvation is done by the Holy Spirit when He draws people as they hear the word and are convicted of sin. In order for someone to be healed, the unction or drawing of the Holy Spirit is there to heal also. As with all gifts of the spirit, healing comes as the Holy Spirit directs and uses one of His vessels to pray or speak by the spirit for the healing of someone who is in need.

In another place it is said, "If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." We need to ask, seek and search for answers and they will come. I believe that with all my heart. I don't believe God would tell us to ask for wisdom if He didn't intend to give us that wisdom and understanding. However, we cannot expect to receive anything if we don't believe He even hears us. We also can't expect to understand the bible if we never read it with a seeking and searching heart, desiring to understand.

My opinion, and this is my own thoughts here. We may have trouble receiving healing because we can't convince ourselves that God wants to heal us. As long as we think that it might not be His will or that He may be working out something with our sickness, it is hard to actually believe that He is going to heal us. It's much easier to believe if we are confident that the Lord wants us well. One thought though, if the Lord wanted us sick for some strange reason, then it would be wrong to take medicine and go to a doctor to get well. We need to convince ourselves that He wants us well. I will add this thought as well. To tell someone that doesn't get healed, that they just don't have enough faith is very cruel. We really just do not know why a person that seeks healing doesn't receive it. Perhaps it isn't God's will. Maybe it's their time to go. We really do not know. True faith is believing when it doesn't happen. We still believe in Jesus anyway.

Sometimes God will answer something I pray for and I wonder why He bothered to answer a prayer like that when there are so many that have greater needs. Yesterday we had our water lines replaced. It took 2 days. The man who was doing the work was really a perfectionist. Very good at what he does.

He seemed to have lost something he needed and couldn't find it. He spent about a half and hour looking for his part. When I went to check on him, he told me what was going on. Without him knowing it, I prayed for God's mercy on him and that he would find the part. I few minutes later I heard a pounding noise and was glad he was resuming his work.

I went back down the basement and he looked at me with a big smile saying he found the part he was looking for. He raised his head and said that God must have put the thought in his mind where it was. I was so happy. I told him I prayed for that very thing to happen. I don't know if the guy was even a believing Christian but God still answered prayer. I wonder at the mercy and grace of God to care about a plumber trying to fix our leaky pipes. Praise the Lord.

• Mark 2:6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

Everywhere Jesus went there were the doubters, those that murmur and complain. Always ready to find fault. Sometimes we do this and don't even realize that we do it.

• Mark 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

Imagine accusing our Lord and savior of Blasphemy. They were right about one thing, though. Who can forgive sins except God? Jesus was God and had every right to forgive sins. I'm not teaching the Jesus only doctrine here. I believe the scriptures clearly teach that there is a Father and a Son and a Holy Spirit (KJV says, Holy Ghost) and those three are one. Jesus was a separate being but was just as much God as the other two. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

• Mark 2:8 And 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?

Remember Jesus was a man at this time and was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was by the Spirit that He knew the hearts of man. He could see what was troubling them. This is quite different from mind readers and fortune tellers who are not always out for the good of edifying the believer. They are out for their own glory and gain. That do their stuff for money. We should never ask for money for doing God's work. Freely He gave to us so freely we must give to others. This doesn't mean we don't support good ministries but the gifts from God are His to give. They are given to the poor or rich the same. The Gifts of the Spirit are always to bring people to God, to edify and comfort, to bring glory to God. Never are they to puff up any one person.

• Mark 2:9  Whether 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?
• 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

It would seem here that by the sick being healed; it was to show that Jesus had the power to forgive sins. We see here clearly that it is Jesus who saves and Jesus who heals yesterday, today and forever. We cannot save ourselves by good deeds.

• Mark 2:11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

True faith will produce these kinds of works. Action was needed. He had to get up and walk.

• Mark 2:12 And 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.

If the man had no faith he wouldn't have bothered to get up. The results of this healing was that God received glory for it.

• Mark 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

Jesus was the greatest teacher of all time. Good teaching of the scriptures are necessary today as then. We need less teaching of man and more teaching by the Holy Spirit and those who are led by the Spirit.

• 14 And 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.

Notice how quickly the disciples are willing to follow. They must have known something about Him before He came to call them or else the Spirit of God was drawing them and they felt drawn to follow Jesus when He called.

• Mark 2:15 And 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.

We really need to study these scriptures here. Here we are shown Jesus' compassion for the lost and in another place we are told not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. I would say that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit so He wouldn't have been unequally yoked. We can't go in our own strength.

• Mark 2:16 And 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?

The Pharisees found fault thinking that they themselves were righteous. Maybe they expected Jesus to fellowship with them and not with sinners. Jesus stated firmly that He came to save the lost. That was His whole purpose in coming. He ate and had fellowship with them for the sole purpose of saving them.

• Mark 2:17 When 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.

If a person is well and healthy, he doesn't need a doctor. They go to doctors when they are sick. So if we are to fellowship with sinners, why is there a warning of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

Oxen are yoked together to pull a load of cargo. They cannot go separate ways because they are yoked to a heavy burden and must go forward to carry that burden. If you're yoked with an unbeliever, you are trying to serve God and they are trying to go a different way. It is impossible, sooner or later one would have to give way to the other or they would stand struggling all day and night. Nothing would get accomplished.

When our purpose is to win the lost and witness. We are to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and go forth with the purpose of saving the lost. Yes we can sit at a table and partake of food and have fellowship but we must not deviate from our goal. If we get weak and are lacking in our prayer life yet go have constant fellowship with unbelievers, pretty soon we will begin to compromise our testimony and lifestyle.

We don't have fellowship with sinners in order to appear to agree with their sin, rebellion, or evil.  We have fellowship with them to have an opportunity as we are led by the spirit to speak to them about Jesus.

Jesus went in power and determination. Being led by the Spirit to witness and teach is not being unequally yoked. Going around unbelievers in the flesh and weakness of compromise is being unequally yoked. I would also add here that we are not to marry unbelievers with the hope of getting them converted.

To marry an unbeliever is to be unequally yoked. If we are already married to an unbeliever we have to make the best of it, we can't turn around and get divorced. God has saved unbelieving spouses but many times it doesn't happen and sometimes they turn the believer away from the Lord. Getting into that situation is not the best way to be in obedience to the will and ways of the Lord.

• Mark 2:18 And 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?

Looks to me like fasting is an humbling oneself for the purpose of seeking God not just a contest to see how long we can go without food. Notice when Jesus fasted, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He was led by the Spirit. Most fasting done best when we feel drawn by the Holy Spirit to fast.

• Mark 2:19 And 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.

Fasting seem to be also a time of mourning, seeking and pressing into the presence of God. They did not need to fast and seek the presence of God here because they were in the presence of God.

• Mark 2:20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

The time of fasting is now when we are separated from the Lord by our sight. We are not separated from Him in reality but we can't visibly see His presence. We need to constantly seek Him in prayer, praise, seeking and even fasting to build up our faith and spiritual strength.

• Mark 2:21 No 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.

There are two ways to understand these scriptures. One is that we can't mix the words of God and our old nature together. They will not agree. We must be changed, made new by the new birth.

• Mark 2:22 And 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.

We must be made new, born again in order to understand and begin to walk in the Spirit.

Another interpretation is that the Old law and the new covenant can't mix. The Old law was fulfilled in Jesus and a New covenant was made with man in order to bring salvation and eternal life.

• Mark 2:23 And 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.

We have a hint here as to the meaning of the previous verses. The disciples were hungry and did what they could to fulfill that hunger. Notice Jesus didn't yell at them to wait until the Sabbath was over and then eat. They could have waited, why didn't Jesus upbraid them for picking corn on the Sabbath day?

• Mark 2:24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?

The Pharisees noticed right away and began to upbraid and find fault.

• Mark 2:25 And 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?

Jesus mentions David here. Evidently the Pharisees recognized David as a righteous leader. David saw a need of those that were with him and in desperation he took bread that was not lawful to eat and gave it to his men.

• Mark 2:26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

The food was for the priests only. Here Jesus seems to be emphasizing a change in covenants rather than eating. The new way emphasized the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. The law within the inner man that has been born again by the Holy Spirit, produces works by faith and love.

• Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

He is reminding the Pharisees why the Sabbath was made in the first place. God, in His wisdom and compassion made the Sabbath to give man a day of rest and refreshing. It is for our good. It is not for us to find fault and accuse one another. The best way to spend the Sabbath is in worship, refreshing and praise to the Lord.

• Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Jesus is showing here that He is Lord of the Sabbath. He is the Sabbath. He is the final rest to all who will receive and believe. Yes, its good to set aside a special day to rest and seek the Lord. You will find that if we try to work 7 days a week without rest, we will soon wear out. We all need that day of rest.

• Hebrews 4: 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
• 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

There are two ways to view this: One, when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord, we enter into His rest and refreshing, old things pass away and we have a new beginning. We rest from our old ways and works.

Another view is that when we enter into our final rest with the Lord, we rest from our labor for the Lord and enter eternal life. Both views are good. There is a refreshing peace and comfort when we come to receive salvation and the new birth from the Lord.

We are born again by the Spirit. Oh Lord restore unto us the joy of thy salvation. There is joy in serving the Lord. Amen. DC