Mark 2

Mark 2, Jesus goes to Capernaum and the crowds followed him.  Some believers lowered a paralyzed man through a hole they cut in the roof where Jesus was teaching so that he might be healed.  Jesus used the opportunity to show his authority and told the man to rise and walk that his sins were forgiven.  This flew all over the Pharisees because they knew he was claiming to be God, but they did not believe it.

 

Jesus disciples were accused of not fasting and plucking some grain from a field that they were walking through on the Sabbath.  Jesus called Levi and was also questioned as to why he was eating in Levi’s house with many tax collectors and sinners.

The thing with this chapter that needs much consideration today is the fact that the Pharisees were more concerned that Jesus healed on the Sabbath instead of the awesome miracle that Jesus had just head someone who had been blind since birth.  Jesus says at the end of the chapter that “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; NRSV.  Do we have these problems today with our “traditions?”  I really think so.  Some traditions in the various denominations have been around so long you would really cause a great uproar if you tried to change them.  Traditions are not bad and even groups that try to get away from the old traditions end up settling into traditions of their own.  The thing to pay close attention to is when tradition keeping becomes more important that the spirit of the intent of the actions.  As I have been reading the gospels it seems that Jesus places as much or more emphasis on the heart than on the action.

Have a great day,
Doug.