8 TWO MEN IN NEED F O O T ================================
- H O L D
READING
8 TWO MEN IN NEED
PRAY Help me to understand and obey your word, holy God.
READ Mark 2:1-17.
THINK What do these stories teach about Jesus? What kind of person was he? And what kind of work did he come to do? —————————————————————— FOCUS A PARALYSED MAN (1-12). Imagine you have pushed your way through the crowd into the house, and are listening to Jesus. Suddenly bits fall from the ceiling, a hole appears, and then down comes a paralysed man on a rough bed, held by four ropes. What a surprise! Jesus speaks! What’s that he’s saying? ‘Stand up and walk’? No! ‘Your sins are forgiven …’ SINS? Did they have something to do with being paralysed? Or is Jesus saying that the need to have our sins forgiven comes before any other need – even the need to be cured of paralysis? There’s a group of superior-looking religious leaders standing in one corner, muttering among themselves. What are they thinking (7)? They are not rejoicing at the great gift of forgiveness which the man had received; they are complaining that Jesus had no right to forgive sinners. But they cannot keep their thoughts hidden from Jesus. A DESPISED MAN (13-17). Now put yourself in Levi’s place – you are sitting there in your office, one of the most unpopular men in Capernaum, collecting taxes for the hated Romans from your oppressed Jewish fellow-citizens. Suddenly Jesus appears. Instead of the criticism you expect, he looks as if he really cares. And so when he says ‘Follow me … ‘ you do. Then you invite him to dinner despite the grumbles of the Jewish leaders. ‘But that’s why I came,’ says Jesus, ‘to call SINNERS’. —————————————————————— PRAY Give praise to God that he is willing and able to forgive your sins. ==========