CHAPTER 9 :: Rejected by the Jewish Leaders (Mark 2:1-3:35)
He has no stately form or majesty, That we would look at Him,
Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him.
He was despised and abandoned by men, A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
And like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.
Isaiah 53:2-3
Forgiving Sins (Mark 2:1-17)
Authority to Forgive Sins (Mark 2:1-7)
Storybook
Scribes arrived to investigate the new miracle worker as Jesus performed divine works. They had examined others and dismissed them all as false Messiahs. Before seeing Him, they assumed, “He’s just another hoax.” However, when they arrived, they noticed a commotion, with one saying, “Look, there’s a crowd following him and gathering around this house.”
Four men were carrying a bed with a paralytic. Having seen similar situations before and assumed the man was suffering due to his own guilt, declaring, “Some sinner, no doubt.”
When they approached the house, the dense mob blocked their path to Jesus. They laughed as the men clumsily climbed the stairs and gained the roof. Once there, the men ripped it open and lowered the paralytic to Jesus.
A couple of scribes also clambered to the roof and peered through this newly created skylight. Then, staggering back as if from a mighty blow, they overheard Jesus declare, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
“Outrageous,” they snorted! “Never mind that Jesus healed the man. Did he also claim to forgive his sins? Why it’s blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Forgiveness Proven (Mark 2:8-12)
Introduction
In this passage, Mark presents the motif we discussed in the course introduction, but from a unique perspective. Instead of depicting God tearing open the heavens to reveal Himself at Jesus’ baptism, he illustrates humans tearing open the roof—symbolizing the sky—so they can approach God, who is present in the person of Jesus, to receive healing and forgiveness.
[[Mark’s chiasm uses a three-fold motif based on God revealing Himself by ripping open that barrier between heaven and earth. He reveals Himself through His Son Jesus Christ:
God rips open barriers to reveal Himself at Jesus’ baptism (Mk 1:9-11).
God reveals Himself from heaven at Jesus’ Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8).
God tears the veil in the Temple that shielded His presence at the time of Jesus’ death (Mk 15:37-39).
Mark based this motif on Isaiah’s desire in Isaiah 64:1: “Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down.” (1)
Storybook
Mark used his motif–in reverse–in the healing of the paralytic. Instead of showing his theme from God’s perspective, he showed it from humanity’s, asking, “How do we respond to Jesus?” Because people now have enough knowledge, i.e., God in Christ has revealed Himself, so they should respond to Jesus’ call.
(1) Based on an internet article: Ulansey, David. The Heavenly Veil Torn: Mark’s Cosmic “Inclusio.”
(Originally published in Journal of Biblical Literature, 110:1 {Spring 1991}, pp.123-125.)
Symbolism
Mark reversed his motif:
The roof represents the barrier between God and humanity.
The paralytic represents people separated from God by their sin.
The tearing of the roof says that people can now respond by faith to God’s revelation in Christ (to tear open that veil).
The men’s faith is how God asks us to respond to Jesus.
The healing tells us what we receive by faith in Jesus.
Outro
So, who can forgive sins but God alone? And how would someone know that forgiveness happened? Jesus claimed to forgive the man’s sins, but we can’t see forgiveness in our world. Or can it? Jesus revealed it by linking His forgiveness to the man’s healing. This stirred up the crowd as the paralytic walked away, stretcher in hand, confirming Jesus’ authority to forgive sins.
The Greek word translated “amazed” shows how witnesses of Jesus’ works react to something supernatural. Mark expects the crowd to interpret their amazement as witnessing to Who Jesus is. Their astonishment should have led them to believe His Messianic claim, or at least to investigate Jesus’ words and works.
We, as humans, are responsible for responding to this unconscious witness we have to Jesus.
