Mark 2

Jesus, after being out in the unpopulated areas, returned home. " He was at home." v.1 Most likely Peter's home. Made me think. I'd never really considered where Jesus might have lived while he was on earth. Maybe I thought He "poofed" back to heaven, or something every night. LOL Wow, to have the Son of God stay at my house!

Anyway, at Peter's home some men drop a paralytic in from the roof (they could not get him to the doorway because of the crowds) and Jesus first forgives the man of his sins. The Jews believed that sins were the cause of certain affliction and it could be that this man thought that of himself as well. Then Jesus healed the man and he got up and walked out. This was a huge testimony to His claim to be God and I'm sure it was instrumental in spreading the Good News because there were so many people there.

Next we meet Matthew, named Levi, the tax-collector. Tax collectors were thought of worse than they even are today because if they collected more taxes than Rome required they got to keep the money; so they were taking money for their own wealth from their own people! Good chance Matthew knew of his sin and was ready for forgiveness as he got up and followed Jesus. I am reminded once again that God can call and use anyone. You don't need a pedigree to be loved by God or be a powerful witness for Him.

Verse 23 to the end of the chapter talks about a recurring topic throughout the gospels: The Sadducees and Pharisees were always trying to catch someone working on the Sabbath. Jesus' reply this time, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." v.27-28 John MacArthur, " God instituted the Sabbath to benefit man by giving him a day to rest from his labors and to be a blessing to him. The Pharisees turned it into a burden and made man a slave to their myriad of man-made regulations. Jesus claimed He was greater than the Sabbath, and thus was God."

I had a dream last night about this very thing. I can't even keep the rules at work without fighting authority, sometimes. I am greatful for this freedom with Jesus.

One of my favorites. Enjoy.