May 15, 2024

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join us tonight as we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. Tonight we look at Mark 1:40-2:12. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

MAY 15, 2024

Mark 1:40-2:12

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me

clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and

sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to

the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out

and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a

town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many

were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the

word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could

not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an

opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to

the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in

their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God

alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves,

said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,

‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the

Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick

up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them

all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

_______________________

v 40 – “And a leper came to him…”

more lit. “And a leper comes to him, imploring him and falling on his knees, and is saying to

him…”

“leper” could be any of several skin conditions

We do not know how the leper “got to” Jesus; people had nothing to do with lepers

Prevailing belief was that if someone had misfortune that they had done something to deserve it

more lit. “Lord, if you might will it, you are able [have the power] to cleanse me.”

A true, humble prayer—and one of faith

v 41 – “Moved with pity…”

more lit. “‘having been moved with compassion’ or ‘being moved with compassion’ [aorist

passive participle]”

Gk: splagchnizomai from splagchnon [the inward parts]

Jesus—this was God in the flesh—was deeply and visibly moved at the man’s prayer and

condition

more lit. “having stretched out his hand, he touched him and says…”

“touch” – haptomai – to fasten to, to make adhere to (Thayer’s); the English word touch may be

misleading, but it is nevertheless a common translation of haptomai

2

People did not touch lepers, let alone lay hold of them. Jesus broke this rule, demonstrating both

his compassion and his authority.

(When had this man last been touched?)

A simple, loving response to the leper’s prayer: “I will it. Be cleansed.”

v 42 — “And immediately the leprosy left him…”

Jesus’ authority was (and is) absolute – “I will it.”

vv 43-44 – “and Jesus sternly charged him…”

“sternly charged” – embrimaomai. Lit. to snort, like an angry horse. “Sternly charged” is not

misleading.

“…and immediately sent him away.” – a surprising follow-up to this healing. We might say (not

literally) that Jesus “overcame his better judgment” because of compassion to heal this man.

Because Jesus did not want to fully reveal himself at this time.

(Is there a lesson about prayer in this?)

more lit. “And he says to him…”

See that you say nothing to anyone” – in the Gk., a double negative, for emphasis: “See that you

say nothing to nobody!”

“But go, show yourself to the priest…”

The leper was to follow the Mosaic law for lepers that had been cleansed

for a “proof” to them – martyrion, testimony, witness. Not only of his cleansing, but as a

witness to Jesus having healed him.

v 45 – “But he went out…”

He promptly disobeyed everything Jesus had just said

More lit. “But having gone out, he began to proclaim much and to spread the word abroad.”

East Texan Version – “He went out telling it all over the place.”

Perhaps he was well meaning, but it caused problems for Jesus.

Jesus was in desolate (solitary) places—and people were still coming to him from every quarter.

But why? To receive a miracle—or to see one.

But Jesus’ main mission at this time was to preach the good news of the kingdom.

2:1-2 – “And when he returned…”

Jesus must have returned secretly.

“preaching” – laleó, (Strong’s) — (I talk, chatter in classical Greek, but in NT a more dignified

word) I speak, say. Robertson: “The word is common in the vernacular papyri examples of

social intercourse.” It is more informal and social word than “preaching” or proclaiming.

v 3 – [more lit.] “And they come, bringing to him a paralyzed [man], being carried by four.”

v 4 – “And when they could not get near him…”

Perhaps, one of the most memorable occasions in Jesus’ ministry

Absolute determination to get to Jesus – a theme of the NT

In this case, get a friend to Jesus. Also of primary significance.

“and when they had made an opening” – exorussó, to dig out or dig up; gouge out

and we are not talking about a small opening!

3

v 5 – “And when Jesus saw their faith…”

More lit. “And Jesus, having seen their faith, says to the paralyzed [man]…”

“their” – presumably, the four friends and the paralyzed man

“Son, your sins are forgiven”

Probably not what was expected! But it was what the man most needed—and this was in

harmony with what Jesus was doing and teaching. The greatest need for his hearers was

forgiveness of their sins.

Jesus also was asserting his authority to forgive sins

vv 6-8 – “Now some of the scribes…”

This assertion of Jesus was not lost on the scribes (and Pharisees, Luke 5:21)

Jesus was not speaking about personal forgiveness (although, in a sense, as God’s Son, he was),

but he was asserting the authority to forgive sins generally

“questioning” in their hearts – dialogizomai, having a debate

“And immediately, Jesus…”

The scribes and Pharisees would not say anything, but Jesus knew immediately what they were

thinking

v 9 – “Which is easier…”

There is an irony in this question, because the forgiveness of sins was the greater of the two

things to say; Jesus had done the “hardest” thing first

But the scribes and Pharisees would have considered word of physical healing to be the harder of

the two, since, not believing in Jesus, they did not recognize the miracle of forgiveness had

actually taken place

“But that you may know…”

So as a sign to them, meeting them where they are

But what was important was that they understood that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to

forgive sins”

“he says to the paralyzed man”

Robertson: “This remarkable parenthesis in the middle of the sentence occurs also in Matthew

9:6 and Luke 5:24, proof that both Matthew and Luke followed Mark's narrative. It is

inconceivable that all three writers should independently have injected the same parenthesis

at the same place.”

v 11 – “I say to you…”

Jesus makes the healing person – “I” say to you

v 12 – “And he rose…”

they were all “amazed” – existémi – flabbergasted, beside themselves

at the whole episode, including that Jesus both forgave sins and then demonstrated his authority

to do so