Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:17 Jesus calls his disciples to be fishers of men, an assignment they will fulfill as they have continual fellowship with him and carry out the mission that Jesus gives them (3:14). Jesus' words recall Jer. 16:15-17, where "fishers" and "hunters" of men will call people back from idols to God after judgment has occurred. This call happens in a context of purification (Jer. 16:17) and will include Gentiles (Jer. 16:19).

1:20 they left their father . . . with the hired servants. Several of Jesus' first disciples were not poor but were self-employed fishermen or, as in this case (James and John), were part of a family business. Levi (2:14) was a fairly well-to-do tax collector.

1:21 Excavations at Capernaum (Kfar Tanhum) have revealed residential structures, a synagogue, and an octagonal Christian site. Capernaum's prominent, well-preserved synagogue has been dated (based on thousands of coins found below its pavement) to the fourth or fifth century a.d. (though some argue it is earlier); however, beneath this were found walls of a previous structure, which is very likely the synagogue of Jesus' day. The fifth-century octagonal building, designed like many Byzantine commemorative Christian holy places, stands over a fourth-century church built by modifying a first-century house. This marks the traditional site of Peter's home.

1:22 The core purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry was teaching, rather than performing miracles or casting out demons--actions which accompanied his teaching and attested to God's presence with him (see v. 15; 2:1-12; 3:1-6; 7:1-13). The scribes mentioned here may have been a local group of pious, literate men who taught in the synagogues, in distinction from the higher-ranking scribes who "came down from Jerusalem" and were bold enough to challenge Jesus directly (3:22). Jesus taught with his own divine authority, not simply repeating the traditions of others.

1:23-25 An unclean spirit tries to resist Jesus' power and his teaching on the kingdom of God, but he correctly fears that Jesus has come to destroy him. The act of naming Jesus as the Holy One of God may display the demon's attempt at exercising power over Jesus. But Jesus resists and tells the unclean spirit, "Be silent."

1:26-28 they were all amazed. Casting out this demon reinforces Jesus' authority to teach. See notes on Matt. 12:27; 12:28; 12:29.

1:32-34 Sundown marks the end of the Sabbath (roughly 6:00 p.m. Saturday); people are now permitted to move about and to come to Jesus with their needs. Jesus heals mercifully and casts out demons, thereby substantiating the authority given him by his heavenly Father. (On the difference between demonic oppression and illness, see note on Matt. 8:16-17.) When Jesus casts out demons, it shows that the kingdom of God is advancing, driving back the power of the enemy over people's lives.

1:35 Four verbs (rising/departed/went/prayed) emphasize Jesus' resolve to have fellowship with his Father. Jesus prayed at a very early hour: while it was still dark.

1:37-38 Everyone is looking for you. Peter and the others only see the needs and therefore do not understand why Jesus went away to pray (v. 35). Jesus intentionally removes himself from the crowds and then goes on to the next towns, obeying the Father's call to preach the gospel.

1:40 A leper is ceremonially unclean (Lev. 13:45-46; see also note on Matt. 8:2-3). As an outcast, he is financially and socially isolated, dependent on charity.

1:41-42 touched him. Jesus' love, mercy, and power are such that his touch, instead of making Jesus unclean, actually makes the leper clean.

1:44 say nothing. This is Mark's first report of Jesus telling a healed person not to tell anyone of his being healed (see note on Matt. 8:4). Show yourself to the priest is commanded so that the healed person will be declared ceremonially clean and will be socially rehabilitated (Lev. 14:2-31). It may be commanded in a secondary sense to bear witness to the priest (for a proof to them) of his having been healed by Jesus.

1:45 The joy of the healed man overrides Jesus' injunction to silence and therefore Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, lest he be mobbed. So Jesus cannot stay hidden (e.g., v. 45; 3:7-12, 20; 6:31-33). Mark often emphasizes how the crowds' excessive attention to Jesus' miracles is a frequent problem, causing the crowds to miss the true purpose of his ministry (i.e., to proclaim the good news of the kingdom).

2:1 Jesus returns from his time of preaching and ministry throughout Galilee (see 1:38-45) to Capernaum (c. 20 miles [32 km] northeast of Nazareth; see map), which serves as the base for his Galilean ministry. at home. Jesus seems to be living now in Capernaum.

2:2 no more room. At the most, perhaps 50 people could come into the house; the rest must listen from outside. Jesus' core concern is to proclaim the word (e.g., 1:38-39; 3:14; 6:12; 13:10; 14:9), including his teaching about the imminent rule of God and the need for repentance and trust in him (see note on 1:14-15; also 4:14-20, 33; 7:13; 8:38; 10:24; 13:31).

2:3 paralytic. See note on Matt. 9:2.

2:4 A flat roof could be accessed from the outside. It consisted of branches or sticks, combined with clay, and Luke adds the detail that this roof also had clay "tiles" (see note on Luke 5:19), which were used on some houses at that time.

2:5-7 their faith. "Their" is plural and most naturally refers to the faith of the friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus but may include the faith of the paralytic as well (see note on James 5:15). your sins are forgiven. An OT prophet might declare, "The Lord also has put away your sin" (2 Sam. 12:13). Jesus, however, claims to be able to forgive sins directly, as God alone can. The opponents reason therefore that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy, which is punishable by death (Lev. 24:10-23; Num. 15:30-31; see Mark 14:62-64).

2:8 perceiving . . . that they thus questioned within themselves. Jesus' divine nature is revealed in his ability to read their thoughts. (Cf. note on Matt. 24:36 concerning the limits and extent of Jesus' knowledge in his human and divine nature as the incarnate Son of God.)

2:9-11 Which is easier . . . ? On the surface, of course, it is easier to say the words, "Your sins are forgiven," because that is something invisible and impossible to disprove. But it is harder to say, "take up your bed and walk" because, if the man does not get up, the one who said the words will be shown to have no authority to heal. On a deeper level, however, it is harder to forgive sins, because only God can forgive sins--at the cost of Christ's death on the cross. The logic here is that, since Jesus can do the visible miracle (heal the paralytic), this is evidence that he also has the power to do the invisible miracle (forgive sins).

2:10 Jesus' healing of the paralytic verifies that he also has divine authority . . . to forgive sins. That Jesus is the Son of Man, when fully understood, will communicate his exalted authority (see note on Matt. 8:20; also Dan. 7:13-14; Mark 2:28; 8:38; 14:62), but in Mark's Gospel, Jesus only gradually reveals the full meaning of this term. Drawing specifically on the imagery in Daniel, the title "Son of Man" is Jesus' favorite way of referring to himself in Mark's Gospel, bearing witness to both his human and his divine nature (see esp. 8:38; 13:26; and 14:62, in comparison with Dan. 7:13-14).

2:14 Jesus continues to focus on "teaching" (v. 13; see note on 1:14-15). Levi (called "Matthew" in 3:18; see Matt. 9:9) collects taxes and thus collaborates with Herod Antipas who, in turn, collaborates with the Roman Empire. As the occupying political force in the Jewish land of Palestine, Rome and all who collaborated with Rome were despised by pious Jews. The taxation system was corrupt, and most tax collectors skimmed money from the taxes for themselves. "Beside the sea" (Mark 2:13) and "in his house" (v. 15) suggest that the tax booth used by Levi was by the Sea of Galilee and was used for taxing fishermen (see Introduction to Matthew: Author and Title).

2:15-16 To recline at table indicates personal acceptance and cordiality. When dining formally in a home, guests reclined on a couch that stretched around three sides of a room. The host took the central place surrounded by a U-shaped series of tables. The most honored guests reclined on either side of the host, with the guests' heads toward the tables and their feet toward the wall. Tax collectors and sinners conveys the Pharisaic perspective that both groups disregard the Law of Moses (on the Pharisees, see note on John 1:24). According to Pharisaic interpretation, Jesus is to keep himself "clean" from such people (see Lev. 10:10; 12:1-15:33). Jesus pursues a third path: personal purity and the fellowship of mercy (see also note on Luke 5:30).

2:17 Jesus likens those who are well to those who are righteous, and those who are sick to sinners; Jesus' opponents must judge for themselves which ones they are. On account of their lack of mercy, they are in fact "sick" and sinners (see vv. 23-27; 3:1-5; 7:1-15; note on Matt. 9:13).

2:18 fasting. See note on Matt. 6:16-18.

2:19-20 Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom, who in the OT was the Lord (cf. Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:19-20). While Jesus is present with his disciples, they are to rejoice; when he is taken away from them . . . then they will fast. They will then return to the practice of fasting to seek the presence of God, but they need not do that when Jesus, the Son of God (see Mark 1:1; 15:39), is with them. "Taken away" is an indirect prediction of Jesus' death (see Isa. 53:8).

2:21-22 Just as new, unshrunk cloth cannot coexist with an old garment, the kingdom of God cannot be regarded merely as a patch over the regulations of the Mosaic law and extrabiblical traditions. New wine vs. old wineskins illustrates the same truth--that Jesus brings a new era with new ways.

2:23-24 Deuteronomy 23:25 implies that, in the case of hunger, it was permissible to eat heads of grain from any field one might pass by. Work, however, was not permitted on the Sabbath (Ex. 34:21). Pharisaic interpretation sought to guard against work on the Sabbath by prohibiting even the minimal "work" involved in thus satisfying one's hunger.

2:25-26 Jesus initially emphasizes that the restrictive Pharisaic interpretation of the law does not take into account the situation of need in which David and his men found themselves (1 Sam. 21:1-6). David ate the bread of the Presence, so it follows that, at least in the case of need, actions are allowed on a Sabbath that otherwise might not be permitted. in the time of Abiathar the high priest. The incident with David actually occurred when Ahimelech, not his son Abiathar, was high priest (1 Sam. 21:1). "In the time of Abiathar" could mean: (1) "In the time of Abiathar, who later became high priest" (naming Abiathar because he was a more prominent person in the OT narrative, remaining high priest for many years of David's reign); (2) "In [the Scripture section of] Abiathar, the high priest" (taking Gk. epi plus the genitive to indicate a location in Scripture, as in Mark 12:26). Abiathar, the only son of Ahimelech to survive the slaughter by Doeg (1 Samuel 22), is the best-known high priest in this larger section of 1 Samuel.

2:27-28 The Sabbath was made for man. Jesus next (see note on vv. 25-26) emphasizes that man is not to be confined by the Sabbath but rather that the Sabbath is given as a gift to man (for spiritual and physical refreshment). Again Jesus emphasizes his authority as Son of Man (see Introduction: Key Themes; and note on Matt. 8:20). If the Sabbath is for the benefit of mankind, and if the Son of Man is Lord over all mankind, then the Son of Man is surely lord even of the Sabbath.

3:2 The scribes believe that healing is a form of work and is thus impermissible on a Sabbath. Accuse (Gk. katēgoreō, "accuse, bring charges") is a technical term: they seek to mount a legal case against Jesus by collecting evidence against him.

3:3-5 Jesus is not intimidated by his opponents; he makes the Sabbath healing (cf. v. 2) an intentionally public incident. they were silent. The silence of the opponents displays their hardness of heart, and Jesus' anger shows that his question, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm . . . ?" should have been answered: "to do good." This would not violate the OT law, but it would violate the opponents' extrabiblical, mostly Pharisaic tradition. Their tradition misses the point of the Mosaic law: to love God and one's neighbor (cf. 12:29-31). Stretch out your hand. See note on Luke 6:10.

3:6 The Pharisees were quite different from the Herodians (supporters and associates of Herod Antipas of Galilee and the Herodian family dynasty; see note on Matt. 22:16). However, these two groups held counsel together (cf. Ps. 2:2) in order to destroy their common enemy, Jesus (Mark 14:1-2).

3:7-8 Despite serious opposition, Jesus is now known in Galilee, in Judea (including Jerusalem) and Idumea (to the south), in the area beyond the Jordan (to the east; see note on Matt. 4:25), and in Tyre and Sidon (to the north). All of these regions had belonged to Israel during the time of the judges, and descendants of the 12 tribes have now resettled in these regions following the Babylonian exile.

3:9-10 have a boat ready . . . because of the crowd. The popularity of Jesus grows especially on account of his healings and casting out demons. His chief goal, however, is to teach about, and to call people to, the kingdom of God (1:14-15).

3:11-12 Jesus does not permit unclean spirits to speak about him, for even when they make true statements, unwillingly acknowledging his greater authority, their intent is still evil, and they would divulge Jesus' true identity, which would lead to much misunderstanding, before he wants to make himself known.