Mark 2

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

1 When He entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that He was at home.

2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them.

3 Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men.

4 Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves:^[b]

7 "Why does He speak like this? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8 Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves and said to them, "Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts? ^[c]

9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your stretcher, and walk'?

10 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," He told the paralytic,

11 "I tell you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home."

12 Immediately he got up, picked up the stretcher, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

The Call of Matthew

13 Then Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught them.

14 Then, moving on, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" So he got up and followed Him.

Dining with Sinners

15 While He was reclining at the table in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also guests^[d] with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him.

16 When the scribes of the Pharisees^[e] saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat^[f] with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 When Jesus heard this, He told them, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick [do need one]. I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

A Question about Fasting

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees^[g] were fasting. People came and asked Him, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

19 Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests ^[h] cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the time ^[i] will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made.

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. ^[j] But new wine is for fresh wineskins."

Lord of the Sabbath

23 On the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way picking some heads of grain.

24 The Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

25 He said to them, "Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry-

26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar ^[k] the high priest and ate the sacred bread-which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests-and also gave some to his companions?"

27 Then He told them, "The Sabbath was made for ^[l] man and not man for ^[m] the Sabbath.

28 Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

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Mark 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Christ heals one sick of the palsy. (1-12) Levi's call, and the entertainment given to Jesus. (13-17) Why Christ's disciples did not fast. (18-22) He justifies his disciples for plucking corn on the sabbath. (23-28)

Verses 1-12 It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.

Verses 13-17 Matthew was not a good character, or else, being a Jew, he would never have been a publican, that is, a tax-gatherer for the Romans. However, Christ called this publican to follow him. With God, through Christ, there is mercy to pardon the greatest sins, and grace to change the greatest sinners, and make them holy. A faithful, fair-dealing publican was rare. And because the Jews had a particular hatred to an office which proved that they were subject to the Romans, they gave these tax-gatherers an ill name. But such as these our blessed Lord did not hesitate to converse with, when he appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh. And it is no new thing for that which is both well done and well designed, to be slandered, and turned to the reproach of the wisest and best of men. Christ would not withdraw, though the Pharisees were offended. If the world had been righteous, there had been no occasion for his coming, either to preach repentance, or to purchase forgiveness. We must not keep company with ungodly men out of love to their vain conversation; but we are to show love to their souls, remembering that our good Physician had the power of healing in himself, and was in no danger of taking the disease; but it is not so with us. In trying to do good to others, let us be careful we do not get harm to ourselves.

Verses 18-22 Strict professors are apt to blame all that do not fully come up to their own views. Christ did not escape slanders; we should be willing to bear them, as well as careful not to deserve them; but should attend to every part of our duty in its proper order and season.

Verses 23-28 The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness or misery. Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Footnotes 13

[a]. Other mss read able to get near
[b]. Or there, reasoning in their hearts
[c]. Or minds
[d]. Lit reclining (at the table); at important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
[e]. Other mss read scribes and Pharisees
[f]. Other mss add and drink
[g]. Other mss read the disciples of John and of the Pharisees
[h]. Lit The sons of the bridal chamber
[i]. Lit the days
[j]. Other mss read the wine spills out and the skins will be ruined
[k]. 1 Sm 21:1-6
[l]. Or because of
[m]. Or because of