Healings and Questions / Mark 2:1-3:12

Well, hello, church. It’s good to be with you. My name is Jared Roman, and I’m one of the pastors here. We are in a series in the book of Mark. So if you have your Bibles, grab them and turn to chapter two. Mark chapters two and three are where we are going to spend our time today.

As you’re turning there, I’d love for you to just consider why you came. Why did you come to this place at this time? What were your motivations? What were the hopes? What were the desires? For some of you, it’s probably just religious duty. It’s Sunday; that’s what you do—you go to church. For others, it may be that you are at a really hard point in life, and you saw this church building and came thinking, Okay, let’s see what God has for me here. And there are probably people everywhere in between.

I want you to know that the text we’re looking at today isn’t going to have a neat little equation where I say, “A plus B equals C, so go do that this week, be blessed, be filled, see you next week.” That’s not what this is. This is a continuation of Jesus’ ministry, and we are going to see five interactions He has with people that will completely change their paradigm—the way they think.

Shifting Our Paradigms

A paradigm is the way we view the world and how it operates. We all operate through certain paradigms, though some are different than others. As Christians, we’re supposed to look through the lens of Scripture and what God has called us to do, and let that be our paradigm for seeing the world.

To illustrate this: for those of you who are married, you probably thought you knew what relationships were like, and then you got married and thought, Oh, paradigm shift. Things have changed. Before marriage, you always smell nice, you look nice, you go to dinner, and everything seems great. Then you get married and realize, All that curated stuff is gone, and this is real life. Or for me, before I had kids, I had worked at camps and babysat once or twice, and I thought, I know kids; this is going to be easy. Then I had my own children, and my paradigm was completely blown.

Jesus is going to do that with people in these five instances. He is going to raise His authority in their lives, He’s going to raise the bar for their faith, and we are going to see that all the way through.

Mark 2:1-2 (NASB)

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.

Jesus is from Nazareth, but Capernaum in Galilee—the northern region of Israel—is His home base for ministry. He does a lot of His public ministry in this region, traveling between different cities. Here, He’s at home, probably at Peter’s fisherman home in Capernaum. When we think of a home today, we think of something very different from first-century Israel. A home there was often just a single room, maybe ten by ten feet. It was more like Survivor than a luxury home—sturdy and weather-resistant, but definitely not fancy.

And it is packed. Jesus’ ministry has become so infectious that people are coming from everywhere to be around Him. They are crammed into this little house, standing room only, spilling out past the doorway. There are probably twenty-five or thirty people squished inside, and Jesus is doing what is ordinary for Him: preaching and teaching the Word of God.

Often when we read the New Testament, we think Jesus’ ministry was like a non-stop supernatural show—walking on water, raising the dead. But from the lens of Scripture, the eccentric and supernatural was not the everyday norm for His ministry. The norm was preaching and teaching the Word of God—sitting with people and explaining God’s character, attributes, and nature. What was the Word He was preaching? We know from earlier in Mark’s Gospel that Jesus proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe.”

Mark 1:14-15 (NASB)

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’

First Things First: The Paralytic

While Jesus is preaching to this packed house, an unexpected interruption occurs.

Mark 2:3-4 (NASB)

And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

Typically, these homes had an outside stairway leading up to the flat roof. People used roofs to dry produce or thrash wheat so the wind would blow the chaff away. This man’s friends realize they can’t get through the front door, so they carry him up the stairs and start digging through the thatch, sticks, and dried mud.

Picture this scene to appreciate what is happening: Jesus is standing in the middle of twenty or thirty people, preaching a sermon, when suddenly dirt and mud start falling on His head. We think it’s distracting when a baby cries or a phone rings in church—imagine preaching while a hand and a foot burst through the ceiling! They break open an opening large enough to lower a full-grown man on a mat. Debris is everywhere. Jesus has to pause, step back, and watch this man get lowered right in front of Him.

Mark 2:5 (NASB)

And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’

Notice that word “their”—it’s plural. Jesus saw the faith of the four friends and the faith of this paralyzed man. It is always good to have faithful friends who will carry you to Jesus; don’t ever lose those people in your life.

Then Jesus says something shocking: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” “Son” is an affectionate, endearing term showing deep care and concern. But why did the man come? Probably like everyone else, hoping for physical healing. Yet Jesus addresses first things first. His priorities are always right. He gets straight to the root issue of sin.

By saying “your sins are forgiven,” Jesus is also declaring that this man’s sins were ultimately committed against Him. If I come home from work frustrated and sin against my wife by being harsh with her, my son Sawyer can’t walk into the room and say, “Dad, I forgive you for what you did to Mom.” That’s not how it works. Only the offended party can forgive. In declaring forgiveness, Jesus is claiming divine authority, and the religious leaders pick up on it immediately.

Mark 2:6-7 (NASB)

But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’

In the ancient Jewish mindset, the “heart” wasn’t just emotions; it was the seat of intellect, your worldview, and your thoughts. The scribes know their Scriptures—Exodus, Leviticus, Isaiah, Psalms—and they know that only God can forgive sins. So internally, they are accusing Jesus of blasphemy.

Mark 2:8-10 (NASB)

Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, ’Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? ’Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ’Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk ’? ’But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ’– He said to the paralytic,

Jesus perceives what they are thinking in His spirit. In theology, we call this Christ’s omniscience—He is fully man, yet fully God. Imagine how startling that would be: the preacher pauses his sermon, looks at you, and addresses the exact silent thoughts in your head.

Jesus asks them, “Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” In human terms, it’s easier to claim you can forgive sins because nobody can visibly see whether it happened. If I tell someone their sins are forgiven, you can’t verify it with your eyes. But if I tell a paralyzed man who has never walked to stand up and carry his bed, everyone will instantly know if it worked. Miracles in the New Testament validate Jesus’ truth claims. He claims to be God by forgiving sins, and now He proves His divine authority through visible power.

Mark 2:11-12 (NASB)

‘I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.’ And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

The man gets up immediately, picks up his mat, and walks out in front of everyone. The crowd is completely astonished—the Greek language implies they were practically losing their minds. A man who sat on the street corner begging every single day, unable to move his legs, was lowered through a roof and walked out through the front door. Jesus blew their paradigm completely by proving He has the authority to forgive sins.

Dining with Tax Collectors and Sinners

Shortly after this, Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him. Tax collectors worked for the occupying Roman government. In Galilee, they taxed trade coming down the main highway, including the fish caught on the Sea of Galilee. You can imagine how the local fishermen—like Peter, James, and John—felt about paying heavy taxes to Levi. Yet Jesus calls Levi into His circle, placing former adversaries on the same ministry team.

Mark 2:15-16 (NASB)

And it happened that He was reclining [at the table] in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?’

Sharing a meal in the ancient world was a profound sign of hospitality, fellowship, and acceptance. When you invite someone to your table, you are opening your life to them. The Pharisees aren’t upset that Jesus is eating; they are furious about His guest list.

Mark 2:17 (NASB)

And hearing [this], Jesus said to them, ‘[It is] not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’

People love this verse, but notice the setting: Jesus is sitting at the table with tax collectors and sinners, and while they are all sitting there, He says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Imagine taking a sip of water at that dinner table and hearing Jesus call you sick and sinful!

Jesus didn’t just hang out with people to be inclusive while ignoring their spiritual condition; He loved them enough to address their deepest need. Sometimes we think evangelism is just sharing a meal or hanging out, but we never get around to asking the hard question: “Where are you with the Lord?” Jesus engaged people warmly and genuinely, but He never compromised on first things. He came to heal the spiritually sick and call sinners to repentance.

Fasting and the New Covenant

Next, the religious leaders question Jesus about religious rituals.

Mark 2:18-20 (NASB)

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ’While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ’But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

Under rabbinic tradition, the Pharisees fasted regularly on Mondays and Thursdays as a way to demonstrate piety and earn favor with God. They ask why Jesus’ disciples aren’t keeping these fasts. Jesus responds by comparing Himself to a bridegroom at a wedding. When the groom is present, it is a time of celebration, not mourning. Fasting is about longing for God’s presence; but Jesus is God standing right in front of them. When He is taken away—pointing to His coming death on the cross—then His disciples will fast.

Mark 2:21-22 (NASB)

’No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. ‘No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins [as well]; but [one puts] new wine into fresh wineskins.’

Jesus uses two simple illustrations: an unshrunk patch on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins. New wine expands as it ferments; if you put it into brittle, old wineskins, they will burst. Jesus is saying, “I did not come to patch up your old, legalistic system. I am bringing a new covenant.”

Lord of the Sabbath

The tension continues to escalate around the topic of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-26 (NASB)

And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads [of grain]. The Pharisees were saying to Him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And He said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar [the] high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for [anyone] to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?’

As the disciples walk through grain fields on the Sabbath, they pluck heads of grain, rub them in their hands to remove the chaff, and eat. They are hungry because they left their jobs to follow Jesus in full-time itinerant ministry. Old Testament law permitted people to pluck grain from the edges of a neighbor’s field to satisfy immediate hunger. But the Pharisees view the rubbing and separating of grain as “work” on the Sabbath.

Jesus reminds them of First Samuel 21, where David and his men were fleeing for their lives and were given the consecrated bread of the Presence by the priest. God did not condemn David, because human mercy and preservation of life outweigh ceremonial regulations.

Mark 2:27-28 (NASB)

Jesus said to them, ’The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ‘So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’

“Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself, carrying the meaning of divine authority—the Boss, the One in charge. When God rested on the seventh day of creation, it wasn’t because He was exhausted from making hippos and giraffes. God never gets tired. He instituted the Sabbath as a gift for humanity, so that we would rest, worship, and remember that God is sovereign even while we sleep. Jesus declares that He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Healing on the Sabbath and the Rising Cost

Now the confrontation moves directly onto the Pharisees’ home turf: the local synagogue.

Mark 3:1-2 (NASB)

He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him [to see] if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

The religious leaders are watching Jesus closely, waiting to see if He will perform a healing on the Sabbath so they can bring formal charges against Him.

Mark 3:3-5 (NASB)

He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Get up and come forward!’ And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Jesus calls the man forward and asks a penetrating question: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” The Pharisees remain completely silent. If a child wandered into a busy street on a Sunday, every single one of us would pull that child to safety without hesitating; you wouldn’t say, “I can’t do that work because it’s the Sabbath.”

Their stubborn silence stirs deep emotion in Jesus. Scripture tells us He looked at them with anger, deeply grieved by the hardness of their hearts. This is the only explicit mention of Jesus experiencing anger in the Gospels. Anger itself is not inherently sinful—Scripture says, “In your anger do not sin.” It is right to feel righteous anger when you see injustice, oppression, and hard-heartedness that stands in opposition to God’s love.

Jesus tells the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretches it out, and his withered hand is instantly restored to full health.

Mark 3:6 (NASB)

The Pharisees went out and immediately [began] conspiring with the Herodians against Him, [as] [to] how they might destroy Him.

This marks the dramatic climax of opposition in Mark’s narrative. The Pharisees leave the synagogue and immediately conspire with the Herodians—their political rivals—to figure out how to destroy Jesus. From this point forward, Jesus’ ministry shifts. He moves carefully, stepping into public view to teach and heal, and then withdrawing to avoid premature arrest before His appointed time.

Mark 3:7-10 (NASB)

Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and [also] from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.

Crowds continue to flood in from every direction—Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and Tyre and Sidon. People are pressing in desperately just to touch Him, knowing that in Him lies the power to heal their diseases.

Mark 3:11-12 (NASB)

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’ And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

Even the demonic spirits fall down before Him, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” The spiritual realm clearly recognizes His identity and bows before His absolute authority, even while the religious establishment schemes to take His life.

The True Cure for Our Greatest Need

When you look at these crowds pressing in around Jesus, you see profound desperation. They knew they had a physical affliction they could not cure, and they believed Jesus had the power to heal them.

When was the last time you felt that kind of desperation for the things of the Lord? Often, we grow comfortable and complacent because we lose sight of our own spiritual condition without Christ.

Your greatest problem is not your physical health, your finances, your career, your background, or your relationship status. The greatest problem every single one of us faces is that our hearts are tainted by sin, leaving us spiritually dead and separated from God. We have a debt we cannot pay and a condition we cannot fix on our own.

Jesus came to put first things first. He stepped into our world, lived the perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose from the grave to conquer sin and death. He is the Lord of our lives, the Lord of the Sabbath, and the only One with the authority to forgive our sins and make us whole. That is the good news we anchor our lives upon.

Let’s pray together.

Father, thank You for Your Word. We are so grateful for what You have revealed to us through the Gospel of Mark about Jesus. Father, if there is anyone here today who has never placed their faith in Jesus, I pray that Your Holy Spirit would move in their heart right now, opening their eyes to trust Jesus as their Savior. For those of us who have already crossed the line of faith, convict us and encourage us. Teach us how to ask thoughtful questions, how to love people with truth and grace, when to speak boldly, and when to rest in Your sovereignty. Shape us more into the likeness of Your Son. We give our lives and our time to You, proclaiming that Christ is enough. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.