Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Morning Cup of Tea: The Pharisees Find Fault

The second chapter of Mark has three instances where the Pharisees don't like what Jesus is doing. The first time is when Jesus is in Capernaum again. The crowds have found him and there is hardly any room to move and no way to get inside the house he's in. A man who was sick with the palsy was brought there, but they could not get in. Did that stop them? No ma'am. They took the man up to the roof where they made a hole and lowered him into the place where Jesus was preaching. Jesus was so moved by the persistence that he told the man his sins were forgiven.  
  I'm sorry, this time it was the scribes who were offended. They accused Jesus of blasphemy for saying the young man's sins were forgiven, because only God could forgive. Jesus calmly said, What is easier, to tell a man his sins or forgiven or to say arise, take thy bed and walk? To show you that the Son of God has such power, he said, and turned to the man and said Arise, take up thy bed and go thine way into thine house. And the man got up and walked. (v1-12)
  While at the sea side, Jesus passed by Levi, the son of Alphaeus (Matthew). He bid him come and follow, which he did.
  The second instance was when Jesus sat at dinner with the tax collectors and sinners. The scribes and Pharisees could not believe he would dare do this because they certainly wouldn't eat with common sinners. 
  17. When Jesus heard it he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
  Also in chapter two the disciples of John the baptizer came to ask Jesus why they fasted and Jesus' disciples did not. Jesus explained to them that he was with them so there was no need to fast. There would be a time to fast when Jesus was no longer with them.
  The third instance of the Pharisees finding fault was on the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples were walking through a cornfield. They became hungry so they ate some of the corn. This was simply unheard of on the Sabbath!
 25. And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungered, he, and they that were with him?
26. How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.  

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