Lesson # 4 | Mark 2:1-22 | MANKIND'S TRUE NEED

I.  Greetings: 

II.  Introduction:

            Note:  If you remember last week, Jesus had been remarkably successful in a healing ministry but after prayer knew it was time to preach elsewhere.

            At the beginning of chapter 2, Jesus is back in Capernaum and some people are going to approach Him.  When most people approach God to pray it is to ask Him for something.  We often think of God as Someone powerful that we can ask things of.  The Bible is not against such thinking.

            Q If you knew God would give you one thing, what would it be? 

               An = Push this question - it is important to get them to form such a thought in their minds.  Write down right now that one thing.  Get them to talk and to write that one thing down in the margin of their Bibles or something they have with them to write on.

 

III. Jesus is back in town:  Preaching With Interruption:  Mark 2:1-12

   A.  Preaching the Word. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:1-2.

            Q  Once again, why did Jesus leave Capernaum the first time?

               An = To teach the Word of God, to teach the Good News.

            Q When the crowds came, what did Jesus do for them?

               An = Speak the Word.  Notice how many times preaching/speaking the word is mentioned in Mark 1-2 alone:  1:14, 1:21, 1:38, 2:2, 2:13.  This is the key.  If the ministry we are involved with does not center on this then it is not Jesuanic or like Jesus.  Jesus did other things but this was the center.  If you come to this meeting and do not hunger for the Word then what Jesus really wants to do for you cannot be done.

   B.  Healing the Sick:  Starting a Storm. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:3-4

            Q Could that man have found Christ alone?

               An = Of course not, he could never have ever got near to the Lord on his own.  He needed the help of his friends.

            Q What does that mean?

               An = Life does seem to be designed so that we often do not find God with out the help of someone else.  It seems that God wants us to help and be helped by others:  to need and to be needed by others.  Many of your friends and relatives will not get near where Jesus Christ can be known and encountered until you bring them.  It will not be easy. 

            Q  Did these men have to get creative and get aggressive?  What did they do?

               An = They destroyed public property!!

            Q  Did Jesus have the need for a miracle thrust upon Him?  Did this interrupt the teaching?

               An = Yes it did.  If you have ever taught or spoken publicly you can relate to the disturbance this can cause.  The loss of train of thought in yourself and the audience.  The busting of the very roof above His head had to have disturbed Jesus. 

            Q  Did their action disturb His intended goal of teaching the Word?

               An = Yes, for people want miracles more than the Word of God. 

            Q  Is Jesus angry for having His teaching disturbed?

               An = Seemingly not, He calls the man "My son".  Maybe, because He knows we are physical beings and easily sidetracked with the body's needs.  He does not get angry.  (Notice that in the chapter above He got angry (or stern) when expecting the man to deal with the consequences of his healing responsibly, not for wanting to be healed.)   It seems Jesus' will to teach is again thwarted, but perhaps that is why He says the amazing thing that He does.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:5

            Q Why did Jesus say what He did?  He certainly must have anticipated the response?

               An = Jesus does deliberately stir the pot at times.  He could very well have said

something else.  He seemingly regularly did.  Now, however, He tells this man his sins are forgiven.

>>>> Have someone read Psalm 103:3

            Q  Does God's activity involves both healing and forgiveness?

               An = Jesus is intentionally pointing to a truth about His person for He and His Father are alike.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:6-7

            Q Did the scholars of the day (scribes) understand what He had done?

               An = Yes, they certainly understood that to forgive sins was only the prerogative of God and therefore Jesus had blasphemed. 

            Note:  Jesus seemingly began this controversy deliberately to start a storm.  It is He who stirs the pot. 

            Q  Do churches tend to like passive ministers?

               An = Those in church authority do not like those who stir the pot.  We may not have liked having Jesus around us.

   C.  Using or Riding the Storm.  Mark 2:8-12

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:8-9

              Note:   Jesus saw their inner thoughts.  He then confronts, or brings out into the open, the brewing anger in their minds with His rhetorical question at the end of 2:8.

            Q What does the question of verse 9 imply?

               An = It implies that the two things of healing and forgiving are naturally are to be together, as we saw in the Psalms.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:10-12

            Q What does verse 11 prove?

               An = It proves that Jesus can certainly do both:  heal the body and forgive souls.  As Jesus can only physically demonstrate the power to heal the body He does that in front of them.  In verse 10 Jesus clearly says the healing is to be seen as a proof that He can heal both.

            Q  Has Jesus made the interuption a teaching moment?  How?

            Q  Is what we want (look at what you wrote down), what He wants to give?           

 

IV. Jesus' Unconventional Selection of Leaders.  Mark 2:13-22

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:13

   A.  The Unusual Selection:  Mark 2:13-15

            Q  What is Jesus doing with these large crowds near the lake?

               An = He taught them.  It seems teaching is Jesus' most desired action from Mark's constant mention of it.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:14

            Q  This time who interrupts (or ends) Jesus' teaching?

               An = It is Jesus Himself by the calling out and therefore selection of a disciple.  He calls Levi, son of Alphaeus, a tax-collector, to "Follow Me".

            Q  Is the call to a religion, or to a task?

               An = Neither, it is to Jesus Himself.  He does not say follow my religion, but follow Me!

            Q What is a tax-collector, or the compliment to one today?

               An = In that society the taxes collected were for the Roman Government, an occupying military force that was resented by the Jews.  The money went to a foreign, occupying force.  The Romans used locals to collect taxes and the collectors were allowed to collect all they wanted and only had to hand over to the Romans a certain quota, the rest was kept by the collector.  It is easy to see such people were regarded as "low-lifes" and "traitors" among their own people.  A compliment to that today would be a "pimp" or "drug dealer".  Both acquire money at the expense and oppression of their fellow human beings.

            RQ What must it have done to Jesus' listeners when He called out to a hated tax collector and asked Levi to join his staff.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:15

            Q  What is Jesus doing by eating with this man and his friend?

               An = Jesus is accepting them, giving them legitimacy.

   B.  Jesus Deals with the Repercussions of His Activity.  Mark 2:16-27

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:16-17

            Q  Can you relate to verse 16?  Have you ever seen someone with a good reputation have it questioned because of whom they associated with?

            Note:  Remember to eat a meal with someone in the Bible means to have fellowship with them.

            Note:  Look again at Jesus' reply in verse 17.

>>>> Re-read Mark 2:17

            Q  What is Jesus teaching through His acceptance of Levi and his friends?

            Q  How many of you, if you are honest about how you really feel, are spiritually sick today?

            Q  What does Jesus have to say to you if you are a sinner?

            Note:  It also means that Jesus is not only very realistic about the human race but very willing to deal with us in our needy condition.  If we are to claim the Name of Jesus or claim to do His ministry, so should we!

 

III.  Jesus' Further Unconventional Religious Activity. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:18

   A.  Using A Common Religious Activity to Bring Up a Point:  Mark 2:18-20.

            Note: The issue here is fasting.  Fasting was done twice a week by the seriously religious Jews.  Since Jesus was a Rabbi, it was expected He would be as serious in His piety as those of His day.  If He was a good Rabbi, and the teacher was responsible for his student's practices, then Jesus should have had His disciples in a fasting routine as well.  Though Jesus does speak in other places about fasting, and does assume His disciples will later be involved with fasting, His disciples apparently were not fasting.

            The disciples of John the Baptist fasted, and they knew Jesus was associated with John, and so the question about why Jesus' disciples were not fasting seemed to be a reasonable question.              It is here that Jesus demonstrates His amazing ability as a teacher.  He seems to have deliberately not had His disciples fast so as to use their lack of action as an "object lesson".  Jesus may have set His audience up by His careful lack of a common action among "holy people".

            RQ  Is it wonderful to see the truest model for religious behavior was not intimidated by the religious expectations of religious people?

            Q  Was the holiest man on earth worried about His reputation?  What was He concerned about?

               An = He was concerned about what was important for them to learn.

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:19-20

            Note:  His response to this situation is another example of how He taught.  He used metaphors from daily life.  He talked with word-pictures.  He took their question and put the question back to them in the form of a metaphor or picture-situation they could relate to.

            Note:  Notice, they had to answer a question using their minds.  He makes them think out the answer themselves.  Jesus forced them to use their minds.

            Q What would be an example of this today? 

               An = It is not possible to fast when "glory" is with you.  Just as it would not be possible to mourn if you were in love, and the one you loved came home after going to school out of state.  To fast at their home coming dinner would not be right.  Similarly, it would not be right to fast at a wedding feast, it would be a great insult to a host or parents of the bride and groom.  It was a natural and appropriate time of feasting and celebration.  Baring some catastrophe, to be down when the one you were in love with was around would be a similar insult.  You could tell them they were the "light of your life", but they would feel they were a pretty dim bulb.

            Q  What is Jesus teaching by not fasting? 

               An =  He is teaching us that where God's Presence was, His Glory was there also.  Jesus is right in saying one can not fast when He is present, because Glory is present.  However, remember Jesus is not against fasting, there is a time for it.  It just was not appropriate then.

   B.  Jesus goes on to explain the Nature of His Ministry or His Kingdom. 

>>>> Have someone read Mark 2:21-22.

            Note:  I am not a seamstress of any ability but it does make sense that if you sew an unshrunk patch of cloth to shrunk piece it will eventually tear.  Concerning the new wine in new skins.  New wine begins to ferment and putting it in old skins would destroy both the wine and skins. 

            Q What do these sayings mean? 

               An = Perhaps list the answers given.  In some senses 2:23-3:6 define what new wineskins are, but...we will look at this next week.

            Q What do these little metaphors mean in light of 2:13-17? 

            Q How does the calling of Levi, the tax-collector and the saying in verse 17 help us understand the saying about "new wine in new wine skins" 2:21-22?

            Q If there was to be a spiritual revival at your church and new revived souls and new people came, what would have to change about the structure of the church if that happened.  Jesus says old wine skins would not work, new ones would be needed. 

            Q Do we really want new wine?  Do we really want revival?