Mark 2:1-12

There is healing in His wings. Healing for our physical, mental and emotional needs. But more than all these is the spiritual healing of salvation that precedes them. He loves us so! He invites us to come to Him, all of us who are heavy with the cares of this life, and He gives us His peace.

Our faith in Jesus makes us whole!

Many Bible scholars refer to Romans 1:16 as Paul's thesis statement in the book of Romans: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Paul was unashamed of the gospel because he knew the Person behind the gospel - Jesus. Jesus' power is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." First5 

We begin here: It is what is directly around me—the birds chirping on the back deck and around the pond, the heavenly gift (scent and taste) of coffee, the sun peaking through the clouds, highlighting the tall fir trees outside my window, and yes, the pile stacked on my desk—that ends up grounding me in the world and in myself. When I feel derailed, or focused only on where I need to be, I rarely pay attention to the gifts in the present. Sabbath Moments 

Mark 2:1-12

2 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

Since the paralytic needs four people to lift him, he likely is an adult. In a way similar to his statement here, Jesus later speaks of the children—Israel—as the intended recipients of His ministry. Jesus’ words to the man suggest a connection between sin and illness, an assumption rooted in the ot understanding of disobedience to God’s law resulting in various curses. The healing that follows authenticates Jesus’ claim to forgive sins.

The scribes (teachers of the law) accuse Jesus of blasphemy because He, a human being, claims to do something only God can. Blasphemy—a significant theme in Mark’s Gospel—is the first and last charge Jesus’ Jewish adversaries will bring against Him. In the ot, only God is able to forgive sins. For Jesus’ opponents, His claim to forgive the man’s sins—equivalent to claiming divinity—is easily dismissible since there is no proof of the success of His claim. Jesus’ rhetorical question and following action are meant to stimulate His audience, and especially His accusers, to recognize that He had authority to act with God’s power.

The phrase, which may be literally rendered “human one”, refers to a Messiah figure who comes to Yahweh (called the Ancient of Days), with the clouds surrounding him, to be given dominion over all of the world. Yahweh is also depicted as riding on the clouds, which means the Son of Man is depicted like Yahweh himself—indicating that the Son of Man figure is also divine. This is fitting as a description for Jesus’ ministry, since He is divine and human, and is establishing the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus acted with an unprecedented authority over physical maladies and demons. Faithlife Study Bible

Mark is largely a record of Christ’s actions, but what Jesus said is not neglected. Here he describes how Jesus preached the word, the message of the coming kingdom. Many in the crowd may have come expecting to see healings and miracles. The throng blocked entrance into the already packed room. The determination of the men is seen in the fact that they uncovered the roof over the room where Jesus was preaching. The roof was probably flat and constructed of tiles laid one on another. Not only did the four men have faith, but the paralytic himself had it too. When Jesus announced to him, your sins are forgiven, He was implicitly acknowledging the paralytic’s trust that He was the Messiah. 

Mark notes the opposition of the scribes, who under their breath accused Jesus of blasphemy. In Christ’s day the scribes were commonly called lawyers. Jesus asked the which is easier question to demonstrate the truth of His claim to forgive the man’s sins—something only God can accomplish. Anyone could assert the ability to forgive sins, since there was no earthly way of confirming the statement. But to say arise, take up your bed and walk to a paralytic could be tested immediately by whether he walked or not. By healing the paralytic, Jesus made His pronouncement of forgiveness far more credible. 

Son of Man is a term regularly used for the Messiah. The crowd’s reaction showed that they understood the significance of Jesus’ miracle. It is possible that some scribes and Pharisees joined in the acclamation. But permanent, life-changing faith is what Christ sought, not temporary adoration from the crowd. The NKJV Study Bible

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.