1.   And when he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was noised that he was in the house. 2   And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, no, not even about the door: and he spake the word unto them. 3   And they come, bringing unto him a man sick of the palsy, borne of four. 4   And when they could not come nigh unto him for the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay. 5   And Jesus seeing their faith saith unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven. 6   But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7   Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but one, even God? 8   And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 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? 10   But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), 11   I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house. 12   And he arose, and straightway took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Verse 1. When had He been in Capernaum before? Mark 1:21. Where had He been in the meanwhile? Mark 1:38, 39.

Verse 2. What use did Jesus make of this opportunity? Whose word did He speak? Whose glory therefore did He seek? Think carefully on John 16:14 and 7:18.

Verses 3, 4. How was Jesus' sermon interrupted? Did Jesus seem to be impatient and irritated because of the interruption? Why was He not?

Verse 5. How could Jesus see their faith? How is faith always seen and known? Rom. 1:5; see Heb 11:4, 5, 7, 8, etc. On what ground did Jesus forgive this man's sins? Acts 10:43. Was it the man's own faith, or the faith of the four who carried him? Is it not most likely that the sick man's faith stirred and kindled that of his four carriers? When Jesus pronounced him forgiven, was he forgiven?

Verses 6, 7. Not knowing who Jesus was, was their reasoning wrong? But who was Jesus? (John 3:35).

Verse 9. Which would be easier for an impostor to say? If an impostor should say, "Thy sins are forgiven"--would the people have any way of testing or verifying it? But if he should say "Rise up and walk," to an invalid--could the people tell whether there was power in that word or not?

Verses 10, 11. What test then did Jesus give to the people? For what purpose did He make the palsied man whole? Did Jesus heal just to be healing, or did He have a deeper purpose? (John 5:36). Which is more important and necessary--the healing of the body, or to produce faith in Jesus? (John 20:30, 31).

Verse 12. What effect did this sign have on the onlookers? Whom did they glorify for it? (Matt. 9:8). How are we to do all our good work? Matt. 5:16; Eph. 3:21.

ADDITIONAL LESSON: Mark 2:13-23.

      13.   And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14   And as he passed by, he saw [32] Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. 15   And it came to pass, that he was sitting at meat in his house, and many publicans and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. 16   And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and publicans, said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17   And when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. 18.   And John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting: and they come and say unto him, Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19   And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20   But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day. 21   No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made. 22   And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins.

WHICH IS EASIER?

      The doubters who had heard Jesus say, "Thy sins are forgiven," might have said: "That is easy to say: any man can say that, and nobody would be the wiser. How do we know that those sins were actually forgiven?" But to have said to the sick of the palsy, Rise up and walk, would have seemed like a much weightier matter to them. But it was much easier for Jesus to say to the latter. To His divine power such an act as healing a palsied man was a little thing. But to say, "Thy sins are forgiven"--that involved the cross of Jesus. Had He not taken our sins upon Himself and borne them on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) He could never have forgiven. In Him "we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses." Eph. 1:7.

      How many apostles has Jesus by now? (v. 14).

      On what principle and for what purpose did Jesus associate with sinners? (v. 17). Who else did this? 1 Cor. 9:20-22.

      When was the bridegroom taken away? (v. 20) Have Jesus' followers had occasion to fast since?

      Was Jesus intending to patch up and reform the old worn out religion of the scribes? Was he trying to commit the powerful new wine of His teaching into the old, brittle wineskin of Jewish forms and ritual?

      How the Spirit glorifies Jesus: John 16:14. "He shall glorify me; for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you." Who glorifies himself? John 7:18--"He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, the same is true. . . ." Jesus used the opportunity to open to Him at that large gathering to glorify His Father by speaking the Father's word faithfully.

Source: Fourth Lord's Day Lesson of January. Lesson 4. January 27, 1918. Jesus Forgiving Sins (Mark 2:1-12).