Mark 2 (calling the sick and sinners)

So far, so good :) I think we are on track to continue as planned with the CMS (Chapter Memory Study) in Mark. The outline acronym is holding up, so we'll stay with 'Jesus is the Ransom'.

We're on chapter 2, which brings us to the 'e';

• Extricates the paralytic
• Extracts Levi
• Explains fasting and Sabbath
  

As with chapter 1, I was able to multiply the memory hooks for this outline (not only starting with the same letter, but having the same second letter also). I can't promise this will always happen, but it's nice when it does.

The memory verse for chapter 2 is;

Mark 2:17 (ESV)
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.”

Brief Commentary
The story of the paralytic and his 4 helpful friends has always been one of my favorites. But after studying it more deeply (and graduating from my archaic 'flannel board' version of the event) I discovered some profound implications tucked away in its midst.


Extricates the Paralytic (extricate = to release somebody or something with a difficulty from a physical constraint or an unpleasant or complicated situation)
Jesus was preaching (possibly in Peter's house) and many people had gathered to hear Him. There we so many people that the four men carrying their friend on a cot could not get close to hear Jesus or possibly get their friend healed. So these guys get up on the roof, start tearing apart, and lower their friend through a hole. There was no trap door. There was no sky light. They actually dismantled someone's roof right over top of all of the people who were inside the house listening to Jesus. Mark doesn't record this, but I'm guessing the folks sitting there were not too fond of the debris and noise these inconsiderate men were filling the house with. So, when all the craziness subsides and the paralytic is now laying right in front of Jesus (in the middle of a sermon, by the way)...'what's Jesus going to do with this guy?'

Well, here's what Mark gives us. Jesus saw their faith....pause. First, He saw faith in action. He looked past the annoyance and the interruption and saw straight to their faith. Next, He saw their faith. Notice that we never hear from the paralytic. We don't know how or how much he was paralyzed, we just know he obviously couldn't walk on his own. But Jesus doesn't say 'I notice how well you order around these slaves', or 'I'll give you points for effort', or 'because you have made an individual profession of faith'. He sees the faith of the group (at least the 4 guys who could walk and talk) and is moved with compassion to forgive the sins of the paralytic. We don't read here that He even acknowledged the other 4 guys. He goes right to the one who is sick (see theme verse :). I also wonder what the friends first thought when Jesus said that. 'Um, that's great, but we need a fifth guy for our arena-ball team, and we were hoping you could make him walk...at least enough to play goalie...' Were they disappointed? Were they confused? I can't imagine it was just the scribes who were thinking 'um, what was that all about?'

So Jesus does something radical, causes people to ask questions, and then brings home the point. (on a side note, I wonder what His sermon was about. I bet it was good, and I bet this fit right in :). He perceived in His spirit what they questioned in their hearts and He called them on it.

Mark 2:8-11 (ESV)
⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed 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, pick up your bed, and go home.”

And the peoples' response? 'We never saw anything like this!' Amazing. I love how Jesus shows us that if we walk in the Spirit, no matter what we are doing we can always bring glory to God, help people, and proclaim the Gospel. I'm so glad Jesus sent another Helper to show us the way to love, serve, and proclaim like Jesus did.

Extracts Levi
So Jesus continues to teach the people who were following Him. Then He passes by a tax booth and sees Levi. What people saw was a suspicious tax collector who worked for Rome and, by reputation of tax collectors, probably dealt unfairly and unscrupulously with the Jews. I get the impression that these guys were even lower-regarded than the IRS is today :) But what Jesus sees is a man with the potential to love, serve, and follow Him as a disciple; not to mention write it all down as the first book of the New Testament.

But not only does Jesus talk to this tax collector (gasp), we soon find Him hanging out with all of this guys tax collector buddies and questionable characters. In fact, it says that now there were many of these unsavory individuals following Jesus. And the scribes were beside themselves. But notice who they complain to:

Mark 2:16 (ESV)
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?”

Remember, the scribes just got crushed by Jesus for what they were thinking. They might have been (justifiably) a little gun shy to confront Him again. So they went to His disciples and registered their disgust. But, as they soon learned, Jesus not only has a discerning spirit, but really good hearing :)

Mark 2:17 (ESV)
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.”

This verse was easy to pick as the theme verse for the chapter. It draws the three stories (paralytic, Levi, fasting and Sabbath) together under one main thought; 'I didn't come for the people who think they are righteous and well, but for the ones who know they are sick and in need'.


Explains Fasting and Sabbath
I put these two together because they are linked in theme (and I wanted to keep the outline to three points :). The Pharisees tried to pin Jesus and His disciples down with the application of their law. Jesus, on both counts, refutes them by teaching that the Law (probably more specifically in this case, the rules established by Jewish custom) was made for men, not men for the law. Jesus' message (the Gospel) was not intended to fit into the 'old wine-skins' (the laws). Nor were those laws and customs to keep people from faith and trust in Jesus because of their rigidness and complex systems. The Gospel of grace confronts the religion of the law at every turn. Jesus continues to confront the established 'institution of religiousness' with His message of the Gospel.


Both confrontation of religion and presentation of the Gospel are just as critical today as when Jesus first preached it.

Mark 1 (Jesus brings in the Gospel of the kingdom)

And immediately...Ethan began his Chapter Memory Study in the Gospel of Mark (a nod to one of the most used words in this action-packed adventure).

As I covered in my introductory entry, this is my systematic study through the book of Mark.  The goal is to (hopefully) create a system that helps me remember where stuff is.  This is not the whole of my walk with Jesus, but it is a way I train myself to love Him with all of my mind (one of the means of love that contributes to a whole-person love as described in the Greatest Commandments, Matt 22:37).

So, on we go with the training.

I have, for the moment, settled on the chapter acronym; JESUS IS THE RANSOM.

So, the 'J' falls on chapter one, and the outline points are built on the 'J'. These are the key events or passages found in the chapter.  This chapter has 4 (but could have more), others may have less.  My goal is 2-3. 

• Jesus baptized by John
  
• Jesus baited by Satan
• Jesus begins His ministry
• Jesus brings the Gospel

(I can't promise that all of the outlines will line up the same way, but my goal with each is create a 'hook' that makes it distinct and easy to remember...thus the second words all start with 'b')

The key verse for memory and meditation is

Mark 1:15 (ESV)
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Comments and Reflections
Mark wastes no time diving into the story of Jesus.  He quotes two prophets (Malachi and Isaiah) briefly before jumping straight into the action.  John the baptist was the one who would come before, and he knew it.  His ministry was important, but he was preparing the way for Jesus who would bring salvation and Holy Spirit.  One observation about John;  he is about the same age as Jesus, right?  So I assume he didn't just get up one morning in his late-twenties and decide to be the pre-cursor to the long-awaited Messiah.  He was a prophet of God, and his ministry (and location) were ordained by God.  But I believe that it is safe to say that he was also trained by God.  He had a message, he knew Christ was coming, and he had the reckless confidence of one who had received his marching orders from God.  He had been 'raised up', then he 'appeared'.

Mark then briefly mentions the baptism of Jesus and the appearance of the Trinity; Jesus in the water, Holy Spirit descending like a dove, God the Father speaking from heaven.  Then, where Matthew and Luke spend considerably more time, Mark summarizes in 2 verses the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness.  All of this seemingly leading us to verse 14 where the action begins; Jesus starts His ministry.  I obviously don't know why Mark blows by these other important events (not to mention Jesus' birth and pre-ministry life), but one thing is certain; Mark hits the ground running and doesn't stop until he's done.  He writes us a quick-cutting action/adventure story of Jesus and His invasion of the world.

Jesus starts calling disciples (16-20), healing people (21-34,  40-45), and preaching the Gospel (14-15, 35-39). 

A few observations.  Verse 17 struck me with one little word; become.  That's not how I remember the song (with the actions, of course); 'I will make you fishers of men...'.  Mark quotes Jesus saying "I will make you become fishers of men."  For some reason that really helps me.  Jesus didn't tap them on the shoulder and 'boom' transform them into mighty missionaries for the Gospel.  He invited them to walk with Him for 3 years and become His mighty men of the kingdom.  This involves time, training, and teaching.  While I deeply yearn to be farther along than I am, I know that I must become who He is making me into. 

So, why didn't everyone who saw or heard about the miraculous things Jesus did believe every word He spoke and follow Him?  He's healing people and delivering people from demons and preaching the Gospel all over.  They acknowledge His authority and uniqueness.  His fame 'spread everywhere' (28).  But Jesus wasn't fooled by this instant fame, nor did He subject Himself to its lure.  There were some people who just liked the show (like today), and some who would chase after whatever is the latest thing (like today), and some who would still not believe what He said no matter what miraculous things He performed (like today).

In what has become one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Jesus makes sure His disciples see His priority.  In verses 35-39 Mark gives us a very helpful little story.  Jesus gets up early and goes out to be by Himself to pray.  His disciples (led by Peter) eventually wake up and don't see Jesus; so they go find Him.  "Hey, Jesus, this healing and deliverance ministry You do is really catching on!  People from everywhere are coming out to see you and be healed.  Everyone wants to get in on this, Jesus.  You're a hit!  Let's go back and give the people what they want."

Jesus, in all grace and patience, with the the verbal precision of a divine surgeon replies "pack it up boys, we're moving out.  I have a mission, and the mission is the message.  I need to preach the Gospel of the kingdom, not become a side show."  He didn't let fame, importance, urgency or other people's expectations deter Him from His mission. 

One more thought (though there are probably hundreds of nuggets here, my goal is not exhaustive commentary).  This story at the end of chapter 1 about the leper that Jesus heals is very interesting.  The guy comes to Jesus with great faith and says "if You will, You can make me clean".  Jesus is moved with pity, touches the man, and heals him.  Then Jesus tells the guy to go straight to the priest (to be officially declared clean) without telling anyone else along the way.  Well, the guy is obviously pumped about his new skin and ignores Jesus' 'stern' command.  And look what happens; because of this guy's disobedience Jesus can't go into the city anymore.  He has to stay outside of town and let the people come to Him.

One guy's disobedience affected an entire town.  People could still come to Jesus, but they had to come 'out in desolate places' to reach Him.  One person can make a difference for a whole town...

See you in chapter 2.