As we journey through the book of Mark, there are three groups of people to focus on:
the disciples
the crowd
the scribes and Pharisees.
Each group responds to the ministry of Jesus differently and in today’s chapter we see that in action. As you read through Mark Chapter 2 focus on the contrast of the reaction of the crowd to the healing of the paralytic compared to the scribes and Pharisees.
As Levi, also known as Matthew, was called to follow, the Pharisees continued to question Jesus’ ministry. They couldn’t understand why Jesus spent time with tax collectors and sinners.
Jesus’ response was clear,
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17 (NIV)
The remainder of this chapter sees the Pharisees continuing their quest to pick apart every word and action of Jesus. All that they knew, all that felt safe, was challenged by the simple actions of Jesus. He dined with sinners, bent the fasting rules and picked grain on the Sabbath.
The crowd were amazed but the Pharisees were unsettled. Jesus challenged the status quo.
Something to think about…
“Human legalism leads to human self-righteousness. Human self-righteousness denies the need for the saving, enabling grace of Christ. Human righteousness embraces the cruelest of Satan’s lies, that a person can be righteous by keeping the law. If that were true, there would have been no need for the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.”
Paul David Tripp
If you would like to watch a clip of today’s reading then click the link below:
Kay Moorby
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