Mark 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. In this chapter, the first arguments between Jesus and other Jewish religious teachers appear. Jesus heals a paralyzed man and forgives his sins, meets with the disreputable Levi and his friends, and argues over the need to fast, and whether or not one can harvest food on Sabbath.
Text The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 28 verses.
Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the complete text of this chapter are: Codex Vaticanus (325–350) Codex Sinaiticus (330–360) Codex Bezae (~400) Codex Alexandrinus (400–440) Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450)
Critical scholarship Several writers treat Mark 2:1–3:6 as a single unit for analytical purposes. Joseph Mali refers to these verses as containing the "Galilean Conflict Stories", whilst noting that there is no scholarly consensus in this field. He notes "Markan Public Debates" and "controversy dialogues" as other terms which have been used to cover these verses.Mali, J. M. (2009), The Christian Gospel and its Jewish Roots: A Redaction-Critical Study of Mark 2:21-22 in Context, accessed 17 September 2023 The Jerusalem Bible refers to the "Five Disputes" set out in these verses.Jerusalem Bible (1966), "Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels", p. 7 in the New Testament section Vincent Taylor suggests that this passage may have existed "as a connected whole" before the gospel was compiled. Johannes Weiss sees its function as establishing "why Jesus' opponents hated [him] and pursued him to death".
Jesus heals a paralyzed man
Jesus returns to Capernaum after a period of absence in the open country (). Verse 1 of this chapter sees him "in the house" (, en oikō).: NKJV Some translations state that Jesus was "at home".: English Standard Version Tom Wright notes that "most people don't realize that this was probably Jesus' own house",Wright, T. (2001), Mark for Everyone, SPCK, pp. 16–17 although it may have been Peter's house. in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition (AMPC)
Four men carrying a paralyzed man come to see Jesus, but they cannot get past the crowd. Mark is the only canonical gospel to specify that there were four persons carrying him.E. H. Plumptre, Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers on Mark 2, accessed 4 June 2017 It is not stated who the men are, but it is implied that they have faith in Jesus, or in God's working through him.Tuckett, C., 57. Mark, in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary , p. 891 Since Mark has so far listed four disciples, some writers speculate that Mark might be indicating it is them doing the carrying, but there is no general agreement on this.Brown et al. 601
These four men create a hole in the roof of the house (, apestegasan tēn stegēn, "they uncovered the roof") and lower the man in to see Jesus. Kilgallen suggests that because they "dug" through the roof this indicates that it is a poor house, with the roof made of leaves, bark, and dirt.Kilgallen 49 It might also have had wooden beams for more sturdy support. This was the ordinary type of house in Judea at the time.Miller 16 Longman, Strauss and Taylor's Expanded Bible states "they dug a hole in the roof" and notes that Judean "roofs were generally flat and made of thatch and dried mud" Expanded Bible, Mark 2:4 and The Living Bible refers to a "clay roof".The Living Bible, Mark 2:4 Jesus is impressed by their effort, praising all the men's faith, and he tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. Theophylact includes the paralytic as a person of faith: otherwise he would not have allowed himself to be carried up onto the roof of the house. It has also been argued, to the contrary, that Jesus "did not mean the faith of the sick man, but of his bearers" (Pseudo-Chrysostom).Quoted in Thomas Aquinas, Catena aurea: Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, J.G.F. and J. Rivington, London, 1842, accessed on 15 November 2024 Jerome and Ambrose exclude the paralytic himself from the commended faith, but John Chrysostom includes him.Pulpit Commentary on Mark 2, accessed 11 November 2017 Wright suggests that the forgiveness is granted in part for creating a hole in the roof of Jesus' house, but also that the forgiveness Jesus granted "went deeper" than this. Jesus calls the man "Son" or "my child", a term of affection.Brown et al. 602
Some of the teachers of the law present (belonging to the sect of the Pharisees) are disturbed by this. "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (). Mark observes that Jesus "... knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts..." ().
He says to them "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven', or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ..." He says to the man "...get up, take your mat and go home." (8–11).
According to Raymond E. Brown, it may have been easier to tell the man something than to demand he get up and walk. Jesus chooses to prove his ability to forgive sins, with a demonstration of the man's ability to walk. He forgives and heals by word alone, highlighting the power of his words. Mark says that "everyone" was amazed by this.
Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man, ho huios tou anthrōpou (literally son of the human being), which he does many times in Mark. This is taken in several ways in Mark, but is a term accepted by orthodox Christianity as referring to his Messiahship. The term is found in other Jewish sources, for example Daniel 7:31 and the Book of Enoch. In the Jewish apocalyptic tradition, this title represents the judge during the final judgement. He was often viewed as angelic or as a heavenly being who comes as a flesh and blood person. Only Jesus mentions this title in the Gospels, often using it to speak about himself in the third person. It has also been seen as symbolic of God's plan for all people.Miller 17
In both Luke and John Jesus rejects the notion that illness and misfortune are the result of sins.
The teachers say that only God can forgive one's sins; some see Exodus and Isaiah and as proof of this claim. Mark thus leaves it implied that Jesus is God and that faith in his power can lead to not just a cure of physical ills but to a forgiveness of a person's sins.Kilgallen 53 Early Christians may have used this story to buttress their claims of Jesus' ability to forgive sins. Thus to the teachers Jesus' claim is blasphemy as they do not think Jesus is God, but to Mark's audience this confirms their belief in Jesus' divinity.
This is the first conflict between Jesus and other Jewish teachers in Mark. Mark might be starting his explanation of why these Jewish authorities later turned on Jesus.
This incident of the cure of a paralytic and his subsequent forgiveness of his sins is told in all the Synoptic Gospels, (Luke and Matthew 9:1–8). All the synoptics agree that the man was paralyzed and that the teachers of the law were incensed at Jesus because he said he could forgive the man's sins.
Calling of Levi
Jesus, while teaching a large crowd by the lake, finds Levi at the tax collector's booth and says "Follow me!" also calls him "Levi". Matthew's version of this story clearly lists him as "Matthew", the tax collector and apostle, in ,. Mark lists him as Levi the son of Alphaeus, although an Alphaeus is also listed as the name of the father of James. A few manuscripts refer to James and not Levi, but most think this is an attempt by a copyist at correction. J.E. Jacquier suggests that Levi was his name originally, and that it is probable that Mattija, "gift of Iaveh", was the name conferred upon the tax-gatherer by Jesus when He called him to the Apostolate. maybe a middle or nickname, and both fathers had the same name. Mark names Matthew but Levi as one of the Twelve Apostles in , so if one considers Mark alone it is not clear this Levi was an Apostle.
A tax collector could mean two things. He could have been an independent contractor working for the Roman government, who paid a fee to Rome to obtain the right to extract taxes from the people in a certain area, with an added fee for the collector and his employees. He might have also been a toll collector for Herod Antipas, and Capernaum was an area with a high traffic of people and merchants.Kilgallen 55 Either way, Levi would have been a very unpopular and even despised person.
Jesus and his disciples eat "at his house" (, en tē oikia autou) with Levi and his disreputable friends and the "teachers of the law who were Pharisees" () ask his disciples why. Some ancient authorities put the question as "why does he eat and drink" with them.Footnote v at in the New Revised Standard Version The house is generally understood to have been Levi's,See for example in the New King James Version, which inserts the word Levi's but the text is not certain, and Nicoll refers to a suggestion that "Jesus, not Matthew, was the real host at the social gathering":Nicoll, W. R., Expositor's Greek Testament on Mark 2, accessed 28 February 2023 the "call" to sinners can be read as an "invitation", just as a host might invite guests to a meal.Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), Meyer's NT Commentary on Mark 2, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 28 February 2023
Teaching the law was a profession, and the Pharisees were a group of men who were considered pious. Whether they were at the dinner or were simply aware of it is unclear. The proper preparing and eating of food are very important in Judaism. It was even considered dangerous to eat with those who did not observe the same dining customs by some Jews like the Pharisees. See also the "Incident at Antioch" See section titled: "THE INCIDENT AT ANTIOCH" .
Jesus replies the famous "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.": New International Version Matthew has him say "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice'" between the two sentences in Mark's version. Luke says "... but sinners to repentance". Jesus compares himself to a doctor to show that, as a doctor fights disease by working with the sick, so Jesus must go to sinners in order to help them overcome their sins. Jesus had earlier announced that his mission was a call to repentance in .
The Oxyrhynchus Gospels 1224 5:1–2 also record this episode of "dining with sinners".
Jesus thus ends the debate with a statement with no rebuttal by his opponents. Many see this as Mark's way of telling the story to set up Jesus for his memorable words, which Mark uses in the next two incidents and others as well. Scholars have labeled this method of narration an apophthegm, chreia or pronouncement story.Miller 18Smith, M. H., Pronouncement Story, Synoptic Gospels Primer, accessed 14 June 2021 All three synoptics have this occur after the healing of the paralyzed man.
Mark says many people followed Jesus. In contrast to the followers Jesus attracted, it is not clear how many actual disciples (students) he recruited, only calls it a "great crowd of ... disciples", and says that many left.
Fasting and new wineskins