What Jesus Did

[When asked why his disciples didn't fast,] Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

—Mark 2:19-20 NLT

Key Thought


The reason Jesus' disciples didn't fast was involved with the timing of his ministry, not their piety. They would fast when he was taken from them. Jesus' statement about being taken away...

 

Once when John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, "Why don't your disciples fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees do?"

—Mark 2:18 NLT

Key Thought


As today's passage, the preceding verses, and verses later in the chapter (Mark 2:23-24) indicate, Jesus was in a time of close scrutiny. Some people were trying to understand the Lord and his message; but, even at this early stage of his ministry, many of their leaders'...

 

Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum?"
When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call not those who...

 

Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

—Mark 2:13-14 NLT

Key Thought


Two exciting things happened in these two short verses. First, Jesus showed that the call to follow him should be offered to all kinds of different people: Many, today, that we may...

 

And the man [who was healed] jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!"

—Mark 2:12 NLT

Key Thought


The lives in which Jesus works bring praise to God. So ... are we allowing Jesus to work in our lives, and are we helping bring others to Jesus so he can work in their lives as well?

Today's Prayer


Father, use me to open people's...

 

Jesus knew immediately [that the religious teachers were accusing him of blasphemy], so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

—Mark 2:8-11 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus...

 

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said.

—Mark 1:40 NLT

Key Thought


Sometimes we come to the Lord for help simply out of habit. Sometimes we come with a sense of entitlement, arrogantly approaching him as if he owes us something. Humility is not really part of our modern vocabulary. Begging is not in our nature or in our experience. We very much need to learn from this...

 

While [Jesus] was preaching God's word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven."

—Mark 2:2b-5 NLT

Key Thought


Notice what is the basis of this miracle: "Seeing THEIR faith ..." The four men...

 

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, ...

—Mark 2:1-2 NLT

Key Thought


Once again, the crowds swarmed to see Jesus, presumably because of what they had heard about his miraculous power to cure lepers, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons. However...

 

But the man [who had been cured of leprosy] went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

—Mark 1:45 NLT

Key Thought


Many times, we think we know what is best. Unfortunately, some of those times we actually disobey the clear teaching of the Lord because we think...