SECTION THREE WITH SCRIBES AND Mark 2:1 to 3:35 1. ABOUT POWER TO FORGIVE SINS Mark 2:1-12 (Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26) 1 And when he entered again into Capernaum--Matthew says "his own city." [After traveling around the cities of Galilee for some time, preaching and healing in their synagogues, Jesus returned to Capernaum--his home. Time is told in very indefinite language in the scriptures, and frequently a few verses include a considerable time. All we can tell is it was yet in the first year of his ministry. We measure the years of his ministry by the Passover feasts at Jerusalem noted only by John. Jesus, after journeying from city to city on foot until worn and wearied with his journey, his labors, the constant crowds that thronged him, would naturally, at his home, seek quiet and rest preparatory to starting again upon his lifework. He returned to Capernaum, as the narrative would indicate, quietly, and entered his home.] after some days,--How many days elapsed after "Jesus could no more openly enter into a city" (Mark 1:45) is not stated. The fact that he goes again into the city is evidence that a sufficient time had passed, for the cause that hindered his entering into the cities had, in some way, been removed; and therefore, there is no inconsistency between the two statements. it was noised that he was in the house.--[It was told from one to another, until the news spread through the city that he was in the house.] Jesus had no house of his own (Matt. 8 20);but he dwelt in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13) in a house occupied by some friend, probably Peter (Mark 1:29), as at Bethany his home was with Lazarus and his sisters. 2 And many were gathered together,--Eager to hear from the lips of him who had so recently shown the possession of unparalleled power. [So soon as the people heard he was at his home many were gathered together to see him.] so that there was no longer room for them, no, not even about the door:--[They crowded into the house until there was no room in the house to receive them, and they pressed around the door, so that it became impossible to approach it even.] Jesus was so far from seeking praise and commendation of people that he came into the city without observation, and betook himself to his home there;but the more he sought seclusion, the more he was taken notice of. Honor flees from those that pursue it, and pursues those that run from it. The way to be honored is to be humble. God seldom honors a proud man by making him either eminently serviceable or successful. and he spake the word unto them.--[The chief mission of Jesus was to preach to the people the word of God. The healing of the sick and the casting out of the devils was a matter of secondary importance, but helpful, to his preaching the word. Jesus moved with kindness to men, would heal their bodily infirmities. But the great thing with him was to teach them the word, and to heal their spiritual afflictions. The healing of the body showed the presence of God with him. They were separated from God, they were as sheep without a shepherd, and he came to call them back to God. The miracles were wrought to prove he was from God, God was with him, and that his words were the words of God. The good that words do depends much on who speaks them and how received. The words spoken by Jesus were comparatively without effect to those who received them as the words of men. They were full of power and grace to those who received them as the words of God. The word preached here was the specific words that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Luke 4:18-20 is an example of his preaching. He quoted a prophecy foretelling his coming and his mission, and then showed it was fulfilled in his person and work. The word "preach" is not used in the New Testament as we use it. In the scriptures there is a distinction between the preaching and teaching. Preaching is the original proclamation of a message or a truth. The teaching was showing the duties and obligations that belief of the truth required. Here Christ himself proclaimed or first made known his mission in a clear, concise statement of the work he came to do, or the mission he came to fulfill.] 3 And they come, bringing unto him a man sick of the palsy, borne of four.--His case was an extreme one. The bed must have been of a very portable character, from the manner in which it was later handled. Being light, Jesus might with propriety command him to take it up and walk. (Matthew 9:6.) As a demonstration of Christ's divine power, he was pleased to single out the extreme cases, to work a cure upon such as were afflicted. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was:--The regular entrance to the house had been blocked by the multitude, so they could not have access to Jesus. Many of ordinary faith and perseverance would have given up the enterprise for that time. At all events, "they went up to the housetop." (Luke.) The roof was made of rafters, and over these were laid branches, twigs, matting and earth, and trodden down. The uncovering of such a roof would not be a very dangerous or difficult proceeding. and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay.--Luke says he was let down "into the midst before Jesus." Their part of the work was done. Their faith had been shown, for very doubtful men would never have taken all this trouble. The sufferer was before the healer. It is not difficult to imagine the suppressed excitement which such an occurrence would produce in this crowded audience. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith--[Their faith doubtless included the faith of the paralytic as well as of those who bore him--his friends. Their faith showed itself in their outward action in bringing him to Jesus, and in overcoming the difficulties that lay in the way. It was a faith made perfect by works. God blesses those who believe, but only when the faith expresses itself in outward action. Faith never affects a person's character until it so controls the heart as to direct the actions. When Jesus was here in person he had no fixed act in which faith was to be expressed. Before he left the earth he ordained a specific act in which man must express his faith, and in expressing it come to Christ. A burial in baptism with Christ into death is the act ordained by Jesus and sealed by his blood in which man must express his faith in Christ. Every man who truly believes in Christ and desires to come to him must do it in the way Jesus directs it to he done. Faith leads the believer to do what Jesus commands to be done, and to come to him in his appointed way. We have no example in the Bible of God blessing a man for his faith before that faith had showed itself in a bodily act. There being no specific act in force during the life of Jesus, these people showed their faith in him by their earnest efforts to reach him.] saith unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven. --Jesus speaks to him; he does not disdain him. He turns from all the great rabbis gathered there, he even interrupts his teaching, that he may speak to him. Such is the condescending love of Jesus. The word "son" among the Jews had a great variety of significations. It means literally a son; then a grandson; a descendant; an adopted son; a disciple, or one who is an object of tender affection--one who is to us as a son. In this place, it denotes affection, or kindness. [The Jews regarded all afflictions as the result of sins. Jesus saw the faith of these men, was willing to forgive his sins, so he kindly said, "Son, thy sins are forgiven." The paralytic doubtless believed himself, but the faith of those bearing him was taken into account in the healing. Jesus is our model in all things. His tenderness and love for the unfortunate and erring are examples we should follow.] Luke says, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee"; Matthew (Matthew 9:2; Matthew 9:6) says: "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven." "But that ye may know that the Son of man bath authority on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, and take up thy bed, and go unto thy house." Thus he demonstrates his power to forgive sins. Jesus healed the man by removing the cause that produced the affliction. He had been brought there on his bed, helpless; he returns home carrying his bed in his arms. 6 But there were certain of the scribes--[These scribes were the Pharisees and doctors of the law which Luke 5 : tells came out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. These scribes originally were those who kept the records, copied the law, studied it, became skilled in its explanation, so were called doctors of the law. Smith's Bible Dictionary says: "The special training for the office of scribe began, probably, about the age of thirteen. The boy who was destined by his parents for the calling of a scribe went to Jerusalem and applied for admission into the school of some learned doctor." This shows the office had come to embrace doctors of the law, or those who explained its teachings and taught the traditions. Scribes were Levites. The classes here mentioned were the leaders in religious teaching among the Jews, and had come to Capernaum attracted by the reports concerning the works of Jesus to examine into and report on them. They were those naturally most unfavorable to him and his claims, as the religious are more jealous than the common people of new theories and leaders. They were reasoning in their hearts, watching to catch him.] sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,--These scribes, acting as spies, were probably occupying prominent seats near Jesus where they could catch every word. Matthew (9:3) adds: "Said within themselves." They were secretly and deliberately considering and debating in their own hearts how to trap Jesus, unconscious that he perceived their own wicked thoughts and designs. 7 Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth:--A very pertinent question, if he was only a man. [It would have been blasphemy for a mere man to claim to forgive sins. This was claiming a power that belongs only to God. So they, in their minds, decide it is blasphemy in Jesus to claim to forgive sins, and ask, "Who can forgive sins hut one, even God?" This was all done in their minds, no one speaking it openly. Jesus told them what they were thinking of to show his divine power, and thus introduce the more direct evidence to convince them of its truth.] who can forgive sins but one, even God?---The answer is negative, none. They were correct in holding that it was God's prerogative to forgive sins; but they failed to see in his teaching and wonderful works the manifestations of divinity in Christ. Their doctrine was true, but their application false. Their denying Christ of this power was blasphemy in them, none in him. They were the guilty parties, he the innocent one. In forgiving sins Jesus drew the issue squarely; he either blasphemed, or he was divine. On this issue Jesus purposed to stand or fall. By forgiving sins, he affirms he is divine. None can forgive sins but God, but he has his appointed means of forgiveness. 8 And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit--By his own omniscient and divine spirit. He perceived it at once. Their hearts lay bare before his spiritual gaze. that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?--That is, in their hearts, but not expressing their thoughts in words. Matthew 9:4 says, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" Their reasoning was evil because there had already been enough done by Jesus, of which they were doubtless cognizant, to show that God was with him and that, consequently, he could not be a sinner. [Jesus had continually shown his power to read the thoughts of men without their expressing them, so he asked them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" Showing he discerned their secret thoughts was a step in proving he had more than human power that enabled him to read the secrets of men's hearts. This was the evidence he brought to bear on Nathanael and the woman at the well of Samaria.] Here Jesus gives some insight as to what the heart is and where it is located. Man is of a twofold nature--flesh and spirit--the inward man and the outward man. He is composed of body and spirit and is possessed with two hearts--the fleshly heart and the spiritual heart. The fleshly heart is a fleshly lobe located in the breast. It pumps to all the extremities of the human body the life-giving principle, the blood. This is its function. The spiritual heart is located in the spiritual man, and from it flows the life-giving principles to the inner man, the spirit and principles of Christ. This is the heart that undergoes a change in conversion. The fleshly heart located in the breast undergoes no change in man's conversion or turning to God. It is the same heart after that it was before conversion. It has undergone no change whatsoever. Not so with the spiritual heart. It has undergone a change. It has been changed from an impure to a pure heart. We may learn what the spiritual heart is from what it does. (1) It understands. "Apply thy heart to understanding." (Prow. 2:2.) Should "understand with their heart." (Matthew 13:15.) (2) It reasons. "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8.) (3) It thinks. "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4.) (4) It desires. "Brethren, my heart's desire." (Romans 10:1.) (5) It believes. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Romans 10:10.) (6) It purposes. "And he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." (Acts 11:23.) (7) It condemns. For "if our heart condemn us." (1 John 3:20.) (8) It obeys. "Ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching." (Romans 6:17.) It is clear that the physical heart located in the human breast cannot do the things here ascribed to the heart in the Bible, and therefore it is not the heart to be changed in turning to God. [In opposing one extreme there is always danger of running into the other. The religious people around us hold that the emotions and the fleshly feelings constitute the heart to the exclusion of the mental, moral, and willing powers. In opposing these, many run to the other extreme and claim that the intellect is the heart. This is as erroneous and as hurtful as to make the emotions the heart. The fleshly heart is the center and active force in stirring and using all the faculties of the fleshly body. Without the activity of the heart the eyes could not see, nor the ears hear, nor the brain think. The eye is not the body or the fleshly heart, yet it is a faculty of both; so are all the senses and organs of the body. Within the fleshly body dwells the spiritual body. That body has faculties, members, and organs, just as the fleshly body has; only they are spiritual faculties and organs. The mind, the emotions, the volitions are all members or organs of the spiritual body, but no one of them is the body. The spiritual heart is the center and life of this spiritual body and directs and uses these faculties. The heart is frequently used to represent the whole inner or spiritual man. It thinks through the mind; loves or hates through its emotions; sees, wills, and purposes through the volition; and believes and trusts, decides and acts, through the harmonious action of all its faculties. Common experience ought to show that the mind alone is not the spiritual heart. Many things are memorized and retained in the mind that the heart does not take hold of at all;they do not arouse the emotions or volutions, consequently do not affect the heart. The mind perceives, discriminates, and decides what is true or false; carries this decision to the heart; and the heart believes or disbelieves. The Bible nowhere says the mind believes; the heart believes, and the scriptures require that the gospel shall be believed with the whole heart. This means the intellect approves, the emotions lay hold of the truth, and the volition, or will, acts on it. Needless prejudice has been excited and great harm has been done by saying that to believe with the heart is a mere mental perception or acknowledgment of the truth. The heart, properly speaking, embraces the mind, the emotions, and the will. Sometimes, to make sure the things spoken were understood, or to give emphasis, the heart and the parts of which the heart is composed are all mentioned. We sometimes say: "A man is buried head and ears." The ears constitute a part of the head. We sometimes say: "The man, soul, mind, and body." Each of these constitutes a part or member of the body to show the office of each is recognized;but to especially impress that all are spoken of the specific use or office of each part or member is meant, all the parts are mentioned. A man that really thinks the heart, spoken of as affected by our faith and our relations to God, is the lobe of flesh in our body is hardly accountable. "Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalms 119:11) is an allusion of the puzzling declaration in 1 John 3:9 : "Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, . . . because he is begotten of God." Connect with this the declaration of the Savior (Luke 8:11): "The seed is the word of God." This manifests that the word of God is the seed of the kingdom which is implanted in the heart. While that seed is hid, covered up in the heart, the man cannot intentionally engage in sin. The heart means something more than the mind in this connection. The heart in the physical man is the common receptacle of the blood distilled from the food, received by the continual action of all the organs for receiving and assimilating food for invigorating the body. It not only receives this blood from the divers organs, but it is the distributing center by and from which the blood is distributed to the different members of the body, supplying life, warmth and strength to enable each member to perform its proper work. So in the spiritual man, the spiritual heart is that faculty that receives the impression, thoughts, affects, desires of the human soul and molds them into one supreme controlling purpose and end through which it strengthens all the faculties of soul, mind, and spirit to courageous activity in the attainment of that end. The word of God enfolded in this heart, in this receptacle, this distributing center of spiritual life, guides the soul so that it sins not. It cannot sin while the word of God enveloped in this heart is the guiding and controlling principle. Of the same purport, precisely, is the declaration concerning the righteous; "the law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide." (Psalms 37:31.) When God's law is in the heart of a man, it makes him wise and though he walk through slippery places, his steps shall not slide. "And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them: he rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, because they have taken refuge in him." (Psalms 37:40.) 9 Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?--[He intimates that one who could heal by his word the sick of the palsy could forgive sins. This is true not because the healing was necessarily equal to forgiving sins. The power to heal by his word showed God was with him. (John 3:2.) He was divine, and if he was divine he could not lie about his power to forgive sins. Then he asked, is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," or to say, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?" The power to do this showed the power to do that. One could be manifested to the eyes of those present, the other could not be.] Here are two perplexing questions which the scribes made no attempt to answer. They could not without condemning themselves, so they preferred to keep silent. 10 But that ye may know--And thus never be excusable again in such accusations, mental or spoken. [He proposed by working a miracle they could all see, and about which there could be no doubt, to show that he possessed divine power. God was with him, and hence he had power to forgive sins.] that the Son of man hath authority--This is the first mention by Mark of that phrase which Jesus applied to himself as a name oftener than any other. [He called himself the "Son of man" alluding to the fact that he took on himself the nature of a man. He called himself "the Son of man," owned that he was human, and depended on his works to prove he was divine, the Son of God. "The works that I do in my Father's name, these bear witness of me." (John 10:25.) "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:37-38.) The works he did were such as only God could do, so for him to do the works that God only could do showed God was in him.] on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), --He not only has power in heaven to forgive sins, but he had it on earth where sins are committed. Pardon takes place where the pardoning power is. He had this power while on earth, and had the right to exercise it, and did so. He carried this authority and power with him to heaven. All pardoning power is now in heaven. Men pardoned are on earth, but pardon takes place in heaven--in the mind of God. 11 I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house.--[The command was that he who could not walk, who was so helpless he had to be borne upon the bed by the four persons, should before their eyes arise, take up the bed on which he had been borne, and go his way to his home. To do this would show a wonderful change in his condition, and to do it at the word of Jesus would show he had power to work miracles, which no one save God could do. The works would prove God was in him and he in God.] 12 And he arose, and straightway took up the bed, and went forth before them all;--[In doing what was commanded the power of God helped him. The work he did proved God was with Jesus. All the fullness of the Godhead dwelled bodily in him (Colossians 2:9)--that is, the fullness of the power and majesty of the Godhead dwelled in Jesus Christ. In his bodily form all of its majesty and power dwelled. Hebrews (Hebrews 1:3) says of Jesus: "Who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." These works of Jesus declared to the world the power he possessed from God. He gave these testimonies that God was in him and he in God to show he had power to forgive sins. Miracles showed God was with and in him.] The last minute for the final test of the claim of Jesus having authority to forgive sins on earth has arrived. Doubtless all eyes were centered on the paralytic. It is not easy to imagine the suspense with which both the enemies and friends of Jesus must have awaited the result. Had the paralytic failed to obey the command, the claims of the new religious teacher were refuted by the test of his own choosing. But "he arose," not by slow degrees, but "straightway," without delay, and "took up the bed, and went forth before them all." Thus a victory for the claims of "the Son of man" was won. Luke (Luke 5:25) tells us that the man went forth, "glorifying God." It needs this to make the picture complete. insomuch that they were all amazed,--Matthew and Luke say that they were "afraid." The presence of a being of such power in their midst filled them with dread. What might he not do next? They probably felt like Peter, when he said "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." and glorified God,--Whether the scribes participated is not certain, though the "all" may be literal, and take them in. Matthew specifies "the multitudes," which may leave them out. At all events, they did not long continue in this frame of mind for they soon gave their voice against Jesus and he was led to the cross and crucified. saying, We never saw it on this fashion.--[When the people saw how he healed the palsied man and gave him health and strength, they were amazed greatly. It was new and wonderful. They glorified God, gave him the honor and credit of the healing done by saying, "We never saw it on this fashion." Hence he was not of man. It was above man. Matthew (Matthew 9:8) says: "But when the multitudes saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority unto men." Luke (Luke 5:26) says: "And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today." This shows that people may love to see the works of God, wonder and admire, and yet not be benefited. It proves that great works and wonders before people will not help them unless they wish to serve God. Notwithstanding this fear and amazement and this ascribing glory to Jesus as having God with him, they did not become disciples of Jesus, and all these works and wonders in their presence became the ground of their deeper condemnation.] The true end of the miracle was reached when God was glorified by the man and the people, and not till then. See that you give God the glory of all work done, all results achieved. They knew not that, in glorifying God, they glorified Jesus.