Mark 2:1-1 5
“AND AGAIN He entered into Capernaum after some days.” As noted before, the leper (undoubtedly with the best of intentions), began to publish abroad the fact that Jesus had healed him. Nevertheless he disobeyed the Lord and hindered the work in Capernaum, so that He went into the desert for a period.
In the second chapter He returns to Capernaum and continues His long work of help to the needy and faithful ministry of “the Word” to them. No doubt this was connected with Old Testament scriptures and the responsibility of the Jewish people to give heed thereto, particularly in connection with repentance and turning to God.
There is a very happy story here of the man with the palsy (we would probably call him a paralytic today), who was drawn to the Lord because of what he had heard of His healing power, but who was unable to come in his own strength. Here we have a true gospel picture of the needy soul today who is lost and helpless in sins, but unable to do anything for himself.
“And they come unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Four friends seem to have had a real love for this helpless man and also faith in what Jesus could do for their companion. It is through their faithfulness that the man is brought in, regardless of extreme difficulties—and blessing results. There is a special joy in being able to serve others, through bringing them to Christ, and such faithfulness will always have its reward.
The Lord was, of course, aware of this act of faith toward Himself and the reward turns out to be much more than they had originally hoped for. For what one of them had ever thought that their friend would find his sins forgiven? Ah, this was the most important of all and the Lord properly gives it the first place — the healing of his body being of secondary importance.
The scribes say, “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” The hard heart of unbelief and resistance to the Lord Jesus, that is so often found in the scribes and Pharisees, is readily put to silence by the very proof of the Lord’s authority, when they cannot help but witness the healing of the paralytic, and hear the acclaim of all the others who glorified God, saying, “We never saw it on this fashion.” Indeed they never could see it except the power of God were present in the Son of Man, who was very God Himself.
The Lord calls Levi (or Matthew) from his work in the fourteenth verse, merely saying, “Follow Me.” Just as the four fishermen had done in the first chapter of this book, Matthew immediately responds. We have no record that he ever went back to his tax-collecting job, for he now found a Master who claimed his heart as well as his energies.
There is a nice lesson to be learned about Matthew inviting the Lord into his house to eat with him. This was not done in secret, but witnessed by many, including the enemies of Jesus. It is a happy thing when we answer the Lord’s invitation, “Come unto Me” and then really “take Him into our house,” is it not? May we each know more of having Him in every part of our lives, if we truly have taken Him into our hearts and proved His saving grace.
ML-05/12/1963