Mark 2:1-28
Now we see how Jesus ministers under the spotlight, in
the din of the crowd.
Many a good man has folded under the intense pressure of
expectations. Would Jesus be yet another example of the flash in the pan?
The thing we must remember is at this time in His
ministry life Jesus was still an unproven entity. While this may be difficult
for us to imagine, (since we are so familiar with the gospel accounts,) it is
important for us as readers to place ourselves in the story and try to imagine
what it must have been like to have been there.
Jesus has much to overcome.
He must overcome spiritual opposition in a manner and
power I think we know not of, He must overcome material shortcomings that only
One with creation power can, and He must overcome doubt - which is perhaps the
greatest obstacle of all.
Who is this?
Who would say to a paralytic their sins are forgiven?
(The scribes are CORRECT in their thinking ONLY GOD can forgive sin.) Who would
say, “your sins are forgiven,” and then tell you to, “get up and walk?” Who
would do that? Who COULD do that?
Who would call a tax collector to be one of His
followers, and then double down on that inscrutable act by dining with not only
tax collectors but known sinners? Would Messiah do that?
Who would be content to skip the present practices of
fasting, in a culture when voluntary fasting two days per week is how devotion
to God is demonstrated? Who could get away with such a contra-version of
standard religious practice?
When the glare of the spotlight is turned on, what would
this ‘Man’ do? Now we know. Everything He does is confounding on every front.
Nothing will ever be the same. There is now no such thing as status-quo.
-Pastor Bill
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