Mark 1
Jesus entered Capernaum and the news spread that He was at home, not on a journey. The people came and He preached the Word to a full house.
Four men brought a palsied man for healing. Not being able to enter by the door, they uncovered the roof and let down the man on his bed before Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the palsied man, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Hearing Him say this, some said, "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?"
Perceiving their unbelief, Jesus said to them, "Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." The palsied man immediately arose and carried his bed, while the people said, "We never saw it on this fashion."
The Lord went again to the seaside and as the multitude came to Him, He taught them.
The Calling of Levi (Matthew)
Seeing Levi at the tax office, He told him to follow Him. Levi followed. How many times have men heard Jesus say, "Follow Me," and turned away, for some, to their eternal ruin. How sad for one who hears the Savior's call for the last time and turns from it.
Eternity is before you, sinner-why will you linger unto your doom? "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.
As far as we know, Levi was not sick; he was not a leper; he did not have a demon, but he was a sinner through and through. He was like all men before they are saved, but the Holy Spirit moved Levi to leave his lucrative business and follow Jesus.
At Levi's house many publicans and sinners gathered to sit and eat with Jesus. When Jesus ate with these sinners, the leaders of Israel objected to His disciples. Jesus responded that they who were well did not need a doctor, only those who were sick. He said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Fasting
The disciples of the Pharisees and of John the Baptist fasted, while the disciples of Jesus did not. The leaders of Israel asked, Why? Jesus replied, "Can the children of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them?... When the bridegroom shall be taken away... then shall they fast." Fasting is connected here with mourning-a part of Christian experience while Jesus is absent and until He returns to take His own home.
A New Garment and New Wine
To sew a piece of new cloth on an old garment would make the rent worse. For one to attach Christianity to Judaism, or to put the old man (nature) together with the new man, would never do. They are incompatible. They are as different as night and day.
There must be a new garment (character) formed by the Spirit of God, by new birth, or all is lost. Such a new garment lasts forever because it is of God.
The same principle is true with wine, which speaks of joy. It cannot be put into old bottles (sheepskins). This new wine (joy) will break the bottles (the skins only last one year) and the wine will be spilled. There must be a new nature if there is to be a new, eternal joy.
The old bottles of our life on this earth will not last long, perhaps 60 to 90 years. What is this in comparison to eternity, with a new body of glory and eternal joy? Are you wise? Take Christ as your Savior and you will have a new bottle (new nature and life) and new wine (eternal joy). The old man cannot be renewed. He must be put in the place of death, of which baptism is a figure. 'The answer of a good conscience." 1 Peter 3:21.
The Sabbath Day
As Jesus and His disciples passed through the corn (wheat) on the sabbath day, the disciples plucked and ate the corn as they went.
Without doubt, Jesus did miracles on the sabbath day to make the Jew realize that the covenant of God with Israel, which was sealed by keeping the sabbath, had over and over again been broken. If God was rejected, of what good were ordinances? God was there in the Person of Jesus and He was rejected.
Under the law one could eat from the field if he were hungry, but no corn could be taken away from the field. The difficulty was that it was done on the sabbath. Jesus answered the Jews who questioned what the disciples did by referring to David and his followers. Being hungry, they went into the house of God and ate the showbread which was only for the priests.
If Christ, like David, was rejected, of what good were ordinances? The rejected Christ was free to act as He willed, because He is Lord of the sabbath. 'The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."