Mark 2:6

 Mark 2:6 says, But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, When Jesus told the lame man that his sins were forgiven, He got the attention of certain scribes, some of the religious leaders of that day.  It is a good thing for Jesus to get the attention of religious leaders, or maybe it would be more accurate to say Christian leaders, but He got their attention for the wrong reasons.  We need to pray that our Christian leaders today have their attention focused on Jesus Christ.  Verse seven adds, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?  These religious leaders, who really weren't attuned to God's leadership but to their own status, reasoned in their hearts.  They didn't look to God for understanding of what Jesus was doing.  We need to always seek God's guidance when we have questions of faith, instead of trying to figure things out by our own ability.  The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy or crediting the things of the world to God's action, or vice versa.  They said that Jesus did not have the power to forgive sins, since only God did.  They totally failed to recognize Who Jesus really was, even though as religious leaders they should have been looking for His coming.  We must first recognize Who Jesus is and should certainly never attempt to make Who He is conform to our understanding.  Verse eight continues, 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?  Jesus immediately knew what they were thinking and asked them why they thought this way.  Jesus knows our thoughts, and we will be held accountable for them as well as our actions.  Their first step should have been in understanding Who Jesus is, and that is our first step today.  If you have not come to understand Who Jesus is, and that is the only Savior that there is, then this is the first step that you must take.  Verse nine states, 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? When healing the lame man and being accused of blasphemy, Jesus asked a question of the scribes.  He asked whether it was easier to tell the man that his sins were forgiven, or to tell him simply to arise and take up his bed and walk.  Forgiving sins can only be done by God, so for Jesus to say He had the ability to forgive the man of his sins meant either He was God or He was indeed guilty of blasphemy.   Jesus also implied that He could have avoided that problem by simply dealing with the man`s physical condition and telling him to walk.  This would not have attributed the man's healing to Jesus Himself, but to His asking in faith to God.  Then, there would be physical evidence, whereas there was no physical evidence that the man`s sins were forgiven.  Even if he did rise up and walk, he could still have not been forgiven of his sins by God.  Verse ten adds, 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,) Jesus said it was so that the scribes and everyone around Him would know that He had the power to forgive sins that He told the man that his sins were forgiven and for him to rise up and walk.  Jesus did not say that He had healed the man physically, but that He had forgiven his sins. Verse eleven adds, I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. The man getting up and walking was proof of Jesus`s power to forgive sins, which proved that He was God, and not just another prophet.  Verse twelve concludes, 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. All the people around were amazed and glorified God saying that they had never seen anything like this before.  The man had to have faith that Jesus could forgive his sins in order for this to happen and for him to be healed.  Today, no matter what problems you may be facing in life, if you have not done so, the first step to finding answers to your problems is to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, and then He will help you through the other problems. 

Mark 2:1

  

Mark 2:1 says, And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.  After some time alone in a desert place to escape His growing notoriety, Jesus returned to Capernaum.  Though Jesus is not here today, the Holy Spirit is, and rather than keep the truth about Jesus secret, we are called on through the power of the Holy Spirit to tell the world about Him. Even though we need time alone with Him, we need to spend more time proclaiming His good news to the world than alone keeping the gospel to ourselves. Verse two adds, 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.  Jesus`s return to Capernaum was publicized quickly, and soon His house was overflowing, and people could no longer get through the door.  It would be wonderful if we had that same situation in churches today, but normally people of the world simply ignore what is going on in the church, but we still put our faith in the same Jesus Who was in Capernaum that day.  Verse three continues, And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. Four men had a friend who was sick with palsy that they wanted to bring to Jesus for healing, but they seemed to be blocked from getting to Him.  How many of us say we would bring our friends in need to Jesus, but seem to encounter something blocking us from doing so?  If we do encounter something in the way, what do we do then?  Verse four states, 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.  These four men would not be stopped from getting their friend to Jesus, so they tore through the roof and let him down before Jesus.  There could have been many reasons to give up.  First, they had to get through the crowd. Next, they had to get the man up on the roof.  Then, they had to remove enough of the roof to let him pass through.  Finally, they had to let the man down without dropping him.  They could have decided at any point that it was too much trouble, but they didn't give up.  How often we let the least little obstacle keep us from bringing someone to Jesus?  We should be just as determined to bring our friends and family to Jesus as these men were.  Verse five adds, When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.  We see that when Jesus saw their faith, He told the man sick with palsy that his sins had been forgiven.  Through faith, the four men brought their friend to Jesus for a physical healing, and because of faith, both theirs and his I believe, the man's sins were forgiven.  We must be willing to do as much as we can to bring people to Jesus. 

Mark 1:32

Mark 1:32 says, And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. As word of Jesus's healing power spread, people were even bringing those in need of healing to Him after dark.  Even though they were not necessarily coming for the right reason, which would have been for spiritual healing, Jesus did not turn them away.  People today often come to Jesus for the wrong reason, but He does not turn them away.  Of course, they may never come to accept Him as Savior and Lord, but that will be because they rejected Him and not because He rejected them.  Verse thirty-three adds, And all the city was gathered together at the door.  Mark said the whole city was at His door.  It would be wonderful if we could get that many people to come looking for Jesus today, even if many came for the wrong reason.  Verse thirty-four continues, And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.  Jesus healed many people of different diseases, and He cast out many devils, forbidding them to even speak.  Again, there was no great war in casting out these devils.  They were powerless before Jesus.  If we have faith in Jesus, we have no reason to fear the devils or demons of this world.  The devils obeyed Jesus because they knew Who He was, which is probably more than many of the people gathered there knew.  We must know Who Jesus truly is in order for Him to have any power in our life today.  The devils knew Him and had no choice but to obey Him.  We, on the other hand, may know Him but have a choice as to whether or not to obey Him. Verse thirty-five says, And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.  Jesus got up very early and went to a solitary place and prayed.  After ministering to the needs of the multitude the day before, Jesus needed a quiet time alone to pray.  No matter how busy or successful we are, even if we are doing what God has called us to do, we should never forget to set aside a time to be alone with God in prayer, even if we have to get up early to have that time.  Verse thirty-six adds, And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. Simon and the other disciples followed Jesus.  Like the disciples, we should also want to follow Jesus wherever He leads us.   Verse thirty-seven continues, And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee When the disciples found Jesus, they told Him that all men sought Him.  It would seem that they were more interested in what the people wanted than in what Jesus needed.  We can never allow what people want to come before what Jesus needs from us.  It would be wonderful if all people sought Jesus, but that is not the case and many times those who do seek Him do so for the wrong reason, simply looking for how Jesus can do something for them, instead of looking at what He has already done for them and what they can do for Him.  Verse thirty-eight concludes. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.  Jesus said that they would go to the next towns, and He would preach there.  I believe that when He said that was the reason He came that He wasn't referring to His preaching only, but to His mission to reach out to all people with the gospel.  Jesus came to bring salvation to all people who would put their faith in Him, and that has never changed.