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Mark | 1:1-11 | 1:12-34 | 1:35-45 | 2:1-20  | 2:21-3:12 | 3:13-35 | 4:1-20 | 4:21-41 | 5:1-20 | 5:21-43 | 6:1-13 | 6:14-29 | 6:45-56 | 7-12| 13-16 |

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Mark 2 Bible Study – Jesus Heals the Paralytic and Calls Levi

Outline

I. Jesus heals a paralytic (1-12)
II. Jesus ministers to tax collectors and calls Matthew (13-17)
III. Jesus questioned about fasting (18-22)

I. Jesus heals a paralytic (1-12)

Discussion Questions

• What do each of the events recorded in this chapter have in common? Can you think of a common thread that links them all together?
• What was Jesus focused on when the people gathered together? What were many of the people gathered for?
• What do we learn from verse 4 about the houses the people lived in?
• Why did they go to such great effort for Jesus to see this paralytic?
• Why do you think Jesus only said to one man that his sins were forgiven instead of to all five?
• What did He see in that situation that we cannot?
• In this passage, what is the relationship between their faith and their works?
• How did the scribes react? Why did they react like this?
• Which do you think is easier to say (verse 9)?
• How did the people react to this healing?
• What insights into Jesus’ character do you have from this passage?
• Are there any applications for us to follow?

Cross-References

Psalms 103:12 – As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Jeremiah 31:34 – And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Isaiah 43:25 – I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Introduction:

You will notice that in this chapter each event centers on a controversy between Jesus and the spiritual leaders. There are controversies about Jesus forgiving sins, choosing sinners, fasting, and the Sabbath. These were some of the key quarrels that the religious leaders focused on when attacking Jesus.

In the last chapter, flocks of people were following Jesus. Everywhere he went, he was popular. People crowded to see Him and listen to Him.

Here, Mark shows his readers that not everything was smooth. There was powerful opposition to Jesus’ ministry. This was partially motivated by the jealousy of the religious leaders who saw that Jesus was more popular with the crowds than they were.

Take special note throughout the chapter of the disagreements, the motivation of these disagreements, and how Jesus resolves them.

1. Persistence –

Mark 2:3-4 – And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 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 bed on which the paralytic lay.

These men were very persistent in getting to Jesus. They didn’t let any obstacle keep them from him. Crowds of people pressing to see Jesus would have blocked the street and front door. While one strong and determined individual might have been able to squeeze through, a group of people carrying a cot would have no chance. But where there is a will, there is a way.

Application – We should also set Jesus as the priority in our own lives. Don’t let anything keep you from spending time with Him and serving Him. Someone might say they are too busy to read the Word. Others say they face too many distractions. But where there is a will, there is a way. If you are determined to spend time with Jesus, you can. It is a question not of time but of priority.

2. Friendship –

These men did not give up on their friend easily. They could have turned back when they saw the crowds and said, “We tried.” They went above and beyond the call of duty. We can learn a lot from the steadfast companionship of these unnamed comrades.

Proverbs 18:24 – A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Reflect – What do we learn about friendship from what these men did for the paralytic? Do you have friends like this in your life? Are you this kind of friend towards others?

3. Jesus publicly forgave the paralytic’s sin –

Mark 2:5 – And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

It is interesting that he forgave his sin and doesn’t mention that of those who carried him. That implies that it was likely this man who persuaded his friends to bring him to Jesus. In any case, Jesus saw into his heart and observed his faith. Only God has the power to forgive sins. By forgiving the man’s sins before healing Him, Jesus knew what his biggest need was. His greatest need was not physical healing but spiritual healing.

Application – Remember that spiritual healing is more important than physical. Hold on to this truth when God allows you to experience physical pain or sickness. Also, let your prayers focus more on the eternal than the temporal.

4. The scribes question Jesus –

Mark 2:7 – “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

The scribes who were there rightly concluded that only God could forgive sins but wrongly ignored the evidence and concluded that Jesus was not God.

If Jesus was not divine, there were many opportunities during His earthly ministry for Jesus to set the record straight and deny His divinity. This encounter was another opportunity. However, Jesus did not deny it. He did not even talk His way around it and say something like, “I am merely a representative of the Father on earth.”

Instead, Jesus made it clear that He did have the authority to forgive sins.

Some people claim that Jesus was merely a “good man.” Those who do are attempting to take an easy way out and avoid making a real decision about who Jesus is. He did not leave “good man” as an option. A good man does not allow people to think that he is God, much less encourage them in this line of thinking, as Jesus often did.

Jesus was either the Lord, a liar, or a lunatic. There is no in-between.

Application – Because only God can forgive sins, He is the one we must go to. David understood that all sin is committed against God.

Psalms 51:4 – Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.

While we should ask people for their forgiveness, God forgives even when people don’t. Also, if God forgives someone, who are we not to?

5. Jesus, Son of Man – The title “Son of Man” is used 14 times in Mark. Matthew also uses this title.

Matthew 8:20 – And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

It is a Messianic title that comes originally from the book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:13-14 – I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

This title emphasizes the humanity of the Messiah, who is 100% God and 100% man. As a man, He can represent us. Adam brought all of humanity into the curse through his sin and Jesus brings humankind into grace through His sacrifice (Romans 5:12-21).

6. Jesus is omniscient –

Mark 2:8 – And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves.

Jesus shows His omniscient character in that He can read their thoughts.

7. Jesus healed the paralytic – Jesus demonstrated power over illness by healing him, which also proved that He had the power to forgive sins.

Just for a second, imagine that the man didn’t get up. Jesus commands him to rise, and his friends seek to stand him up; the man focuses and exerts himself, but nothing happens, and he collapses back to the ground.

What would have happened to Jesus’ ministry? The crowds would have gradually dispersed. The Pharisees would have smugly pronounced that Jesus couldn’t forgive sins OR heal. The landlord would have glanced at the ceiling and thought, “what a waste!”

But none of those things happened. The man did get up. This is a reminder that Jesus and His miracles were real. If he was a fake or an imposter, his ministry would have collapsed, his disciples would have left, and the church would not have been established. If he was just a good magician, someone would have finally discovered his “tricks,” and when Jesus was exposed, His followers would have disbanded.

The belief and sacrifice of those closest to Jesus is strong evidence that Jesus is who He said He was.

II. Jesus ministers to tax collectors and calls Matthew (13-20)

Discussion Questions

• Who is Levi?
• How were tax collectors viewed by other Jews? Why?
• Why might a person become a tax collector?
• What can we learn from this about Matthew’s past?
• What can we learn from this about Jesus?
• Why did He choose someone he knew would be looked down on by most Jews?
• What did the Pharisees think of Jesus’ habit of associating with these types of people?
• What was Jesus’ explanation for this?
• What can we learn from this?
• Is there anything we need to do either in ministry or just as a person to be more like Jesus in this area?
• What other complaint did they have about Jesus? What do you think was their motivation for voicing this?
• What does Jesus’ answer mean?

Cross-References

Matthew 19:24 – Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 3:12-13 – Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”

Luke 7:34 – The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Levi is Matthew –

Mark and Luke refer to this tax collector as Levi (Luke 5:27), while Matthew refers to himself as Matthe.

Matthew 9:9 – As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

The name “Matthew” means “gift of God” while Levi means “joining.” It is possible that the name Matthew was given to Levi by Jesus, like the name Peter was given to Simon. Or one name could be a surname and the other a given name.

2. Jesus calls Matthew –

Mark 2:14 – And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

This account is similar to Jesus calling Peter and the other disciples who were fishermen. Once again, we see that Jesus called a disciple who had low social status. This time it wasn’t because of a low education level, but because of a perceived low morality.

A. Tax collectors – In the time of Jesus, tax collectors had a terrible reputation. Firstly, they were considered to be sellouts to the Romans. The Romans were a foreign occupying force over Judea and often acted cruelly and mistreated the Jews. In addition to acts of brutality, they taxed them, sometimes severely.

A loyal Jewish sect called Zealots reacted against this occupation by acts of terrorism against the Romans. Most people didn’t resort to overt acts of violence but harbored bitterness and hatred in their hearts towards the Romans.

Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans for personal gain. They helped the Romans by betraying their own people and gathering taxes from their own countrymen. Tax gatherers are never popular in any country, but especially when they are working for a foreign power.

But this wasn’t the only reason tax collectors were almost universally hated. The other is that they often collected much more than the amount required and pocketed the difference. While those paying taxes knew this, there was little they could do to stop it.

Generally, only a person of the lowest moral character who valued money above all else would be willing to sell out their own country like this. Matthew was one of them.

B. Jesus was not afraid of the backlash of choosing Matthew as a disciple – Jesus knew that He would be maligned for associating with people like Matthew, but He didn’t care. He never gave in to peer pressure. Jesus did not try to conform Himself to other people’s opinions but instead sought to please His heavenly Father.

While we don’t know all of Jesus’ motives, one clear result is that we once again see that every sinner can be saved no matter what they had done before. Jesus can take the lowest outcast and transform him completely.

Application – Please God rather than man. God wants us to show compassion and love to the outcast. What is a practical way you can show love to the outcast?

C. Follow Me – Jesus gave the same command, “Follow me.” This time, it has some different implications. Matthew was sitting in a tax booth at the time. His life prior to this was likely characterized by greed. To follow Jesus, he would have to give up this life. He could not follow Jesus and continue sitting in the tax booth ripping off his countrymen. His life was at a crossroads and he had to make a choice.

During another point in Jesus’ ministry, another man had to make a similar choice. A rich young ruler (Mark 10:10-17) chose his riches over Christ and turned away from becoming Jesus’ disciple.

Application – Following Jesus means giving up a life of sin. Some want to have one foot in church and another in the world. They want to enjoy the pleasures of the world and the security of eternal life. Following Jesus, by definition, means not following the world. Is there something you need to give up to follow Jesus?

D. Matthew obeyed – Matthew did not make the same mistake as the rich, young ruler. Instead, he willingly left his life and followed Jesus. He gave up a very profitable career because he could not do this with a clear conscience and follow God at the same time.

Reflect – How about you? What are you willing to give up for Jesus? Or perhaps a better question: what are you not willing to give up? Is there something you are holding back and just can’t quite let go of? If something comes to mind, confess this to God, pray for His strength and grace, and make up your mind to let it go.

3. Jesus’ ministry was focused on sinners –

Jesus didn’t only call a “sinner” here and there. A large part of his ministry was centered on these groups of social outcasts. It is important to remember that everyone is a sinner. By labeling these groups of people as “sinners,” Mark is pointing out that their peers looked down on them as such. Society believed that these people were sinners while not recognizing that others were as well. “Sinner” was not used as a general descriptive term for people but as a pejorative word of ridicule toward a specific person.

Mark 2:17 – “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Application – We are to be followers of Jesus. That means we are to show the same compassion that He did. We are not to condemn sinners but love them. That does not mean that we excuse or tolerate sin. It does mean that we willingly serve, associate with, welcome, and share the gospel with sinners instead of detesting them as the Pharisees did.

4. The Pharisees were self-righteous – They were sinners like everyone else. Some of their chief sins included hypocrisy, pride, bitterness, legalism, lust for power, and others. Yet on the outside, they were very respectable and appeared to follow the rituals of the law closely.

Jesus’ close association with “sinners” was scorned by them and was seized as yet another chance to attack Jesus and His ministry.

In fact, this is the ministry that they should have been engaged in for a long time, but instead of ministering to these people, they shunned them.

Hosea 6:6 – For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 9:13 – Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Application – Believers should be careful not to become self-righteous.

5. Jesus’ answer – Jesus was always ready with an answer to the attacks of His enemies and His answers were so powerful and authoritative that, for the moment, His enemies were silenced.

Jesus wisely observed that only sick people need a doctor. The people he was ministering to needed help and He was willing to offer it to them.

On the other hand, the Pharisees were actually sick, but they didn’t realize it. That is the most dangerous situation of all. A sick person who doesn’t realize it will not seek help. Instead, he will keep following his normal lifestyle until he drops dead.

This is why it is often easier and more fruitful to minister to the sick, poor, and social outcasts. These types of people are more likely to realize that they need help and accept the help that is offered.

Dwight Moody said that you have to preach a person into hell before you can preach them into heaven. That means a person must realize he is lost before he will get help. Some people are so self-righteous or self-reliant it is almost impossible to show them their need for Christ.

Reflect – Do you realize how lost you are without Christ?

III. Jesus questioned about fasting (18-22)

Discussion Questions

• What do verses 19-20 teach us about fasting?
• What is the meaning of the parable of the new and old cloth?
• What is the meaning of the parable of the wine and wineskins?
• What is the application of these parables for us today?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Jesus is asked about fasting –

Mark 2:18 – Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?

In Matthew 9:14, these people who asked Jesus about fasting are identified as “disciples of John.”

John’s disciples may have been influenced by the Pharisees and their way of thinking about fasting. The Pharisees placed a high priority on religious rituals such as fasting. It was a way for them to show others how spiritual they were.

John’s disciples may have been tempted to look down on Jesus’ disciples for not fasting. However, fasting is supposed to be private so that others don’t know one is doing it.

Application – Do not announce your fast to the world. There is no need to post it on social media. It is between you and God.

Jesus answered this question on fasting with three parables: one on a bridegroom, one on cloth, and one on wineskins.

Jesus’ explanation is that the disciples were like a groom in celebration. People do not fas at a wedding. Neither did the disciples need to fast while Jesus was with them. It was an exciting time in world history. For three years, out of thousands, the Son of God walked and talked in this world. That was a reason to celebrate!

Jesus said that when He was gone, they would fast. It is thus implied that fasting is right and believers should do it at the proper time.

Matthew 6:16-18 – “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Notice that Jesus says not “if” but “when” you fast.

Application – Evaluate your habit of fasting. Is this a regular part of your spiritual life? If not, should it be?

2. Cloth and wineskin parables –

Nowadays, we live in a time when clothes are bought pre-shrunk. Even so, they may sometimes shrink the first time they are put through a drying machine. At that time, cloth had to shrink naturally, and it would keep shrinking for a long time. New cloth and old cloth would shrink at different rates. So if you had an old robe that had a hole in it and then sowed a new piece of cloth over the hole, that new cloth would shrink at a faster rate and would rip itself off of the old cloth. The result would likely be a bigger tear than the original hole.

The meaning of the parable about wineskins is the same as the cloth parable. Wineskins would have likely been made out of some type of leather. New leather is supple and soft. It can be stretched and change shape easily. But old leather has been exposed to the elements. It is stiff and brittle by comparison and cannot change shape easily.

Wine ferments over time, releasing certain chemicals into the air. It is still chemically reacting and “roiling” inside the skin. If brand new wine is placed in that brittle and stiff wineskin, it could cause that wineskin to burst and waste the wine. On the other hand, new leather is soft and can change shape or expand as necessary to accommodate fermenting wine.

We must understand these parables in light of the context. The context is that John’s disciples are asking about fasting. Their question even goes a bit deeper. Basically, they are asking Jesus, “Why do you do things differently?”

The Pharisees and religious leaders were angry that Jesus did things differently than they did. They could not accept these differences. Neither were they willing to change their ways or traditions in light of Jesus’ teaching. They represented the old ways. Not all of these were bad. Some were based on the Old Covenant. But now Jesus has come.

Jesus represented a new teaching. His teaching did not disagree in substance with the Old Covenant.

Matthew 5:17 – Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

He expounded upon it, fulfilled it, and then expanded it in new directions.

The Pharisees’ Judaism was like the old wineskin. There was no room for any changes. When Jesus’ “new wine” demanded changes to how they thought and acted, they could not handle it and snapped. Nothing Jesus could say would change their minds or hearts.

John’s disciples were different. They were heavily influenced by the traditions of the times, but they had an opportunity to make a choice. When confronted with Jesus’ new teachings, would they have brittle and unbending hearts? Would they be stuck in their own traditions like the Pharisees? Or would they realize the value of what Jesus was offering? Would they be willing to change their way of thinking and their traditions to accommodate themselves to Jesus?

Application –

Ezekiel 36:26 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We too, have our own ideas, prejudices, and habits. Are we willing to change them when confronted with God’s Word? Is our heart stiff and unbending, made of stone? Or is it soft?

I have heard people say things like, “That is just how I am.” They may say this about their blunt or rude communication. They may say this about their lack of compassion for others: “That is just how I am.” They may say this about their dislike of children, “That is just how I am.” They may say this about their forgetfulness or disorderliness, “That is just how I am.”

The list can go on and on. Probably, it is how we are. We are sinners. But this is not a good excuse. God wants us to expand our way of thinking. He wants us to be sensitive and have soft hearts, hearts of flesh that are eager to grow and change in order to accommodate Jesus’ “fresh wine.”