“When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17 NKJV
We need a physician – a healer. Not a shot, not social distancing or covering our faces. We NEED The Healer – The Creator – a real and living God and not an idol or vain imaginations of humanism. m
Dear Heavenly Father – As always, please open eye to see and our ears to hear what you are saying! Lord – open our understanding that we may know you and give us wisdom. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Today’s reading is from the book of Mark, chapters 2, (embedded below the image below for your convenience).
In true Markian style – let’s jump right in. Today is only one chapter – I suggest you read and think about it today as Mark has a way of jumping in and right to the point and moves on quickly and lets you learn and discover the connections and the deep truths all on your own.
A famous question is posed in this chapter which many a pastor and teacher handed to their students: Is it easier for Jesus to forgive sins or heal a man who cannot walk? The real question is “Who is Jesus?”
So we start with Jesus having a meal with a family and the entire town crashes the party so to speak and listens to Jesus teach, including forgiving and healing the man who could not walk. Then He calls Matthew and celebrates with him at his house for dinner – with sinners and tax collectors. Then fasting, then eating on the Sabbath. What is the thread that goes through this chapter? Food.
“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” John 6:35 NKV
We need food to survive – when we fast, we go without one of the most basic needs – and we trust that God will sustain us. We fast in participation of the sacrifice. We learn, understand and take part in the work of the cross and are transformed by grace through the blood of the cross. We could look at our relationship with food in a similar way to our relationship with righteousness – we all need it to survive (for everlasting life, salvation and restoration to God). But we are not born with food – we must obtain it and continue to seek it. And we are not born righteous – we must also seek it daily.
“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God” Romans 3:10-11 NKJV
So in the verse I used to open today’s blog – Jesus came for everyone. But there were some who thought too highly of themselves and forgot that we must repent daily and humbly. The same way we must go to our kitchens or markets and answer the question “what is for dinner?” It is our sustenance – our food – our survival. A primal need that must be fulfilled with Jesus.
When we do not have Jesus, we try to fill this need with other things. But only Jesus has shed His blood so we can apply the blood of His sacrifice upon ourselves and be washed clean and stand as righteousness before our Holy Father.
So in this light – we read and ask the question which is easier for the Christ to forgive sins or to heal? And through Him we have been given this same authority – but we do not understand the question and many forget to look at Mark 2 and understand out call to purity, righteousness, power and authority.
It is under the blood of the sacrifice that we discuss fasting when the groom is here. We can think about the one failed healing attempted by the disciples, recorded in the Bible – when Jesus came and saw what happened, He fixed it and said that some only come out by prayer and fasting. Do we see why, therefore? When you are in His presence you do not fast. Now we are not in His presence, and fasting helps us draw closer to Him and receive the warmth of His presence.
And in this light of righteousness being like food – Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Because keeping the Sabbath when in communion with the creator does not look like the man-made law of being unable to gather a few pieces of grain. The righteousness comes from seeking God not obeying man. And without seeking God – there is no righteousness, no sustenance – no life.
Just because the book of Mark is short on words, and simple in language – does not mean Mark wasn’t a well-educated writer and anointed teacher; because He was. It was said that one of his missionary crusades to Egypt was the most fruitful “tent-revivals” of the time. So why did mark group stories and situations together and what did he use as the common thread? Always look – the sacrifice of Christ and our salvation run through the entire book! Mark believed that Jesus is Life – and it is sewn into the tapestry of everything He says.
RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen
MEMORY WORK: This month we have another great verse to pick up and swing when you need a sword in your hand! These memory verses were selected, last year for this year. As many of you tell me of the great attacks on your lives – the timing is perfect! But of course it is, it is God!
Deuteronomy 28:7
NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”
Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
BIBLE READING: Mark 2 NKJV
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic
2 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 [a]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 [b]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!”
Matthew the Tax Collector
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes [c]and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, [d]to repentance.”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the [e]friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Footnotes
If Not For Grace 