It's Mark's Gospel. As we continue in our studies, Mark's Gospel, chapter 1, from verse 40 through to verse...
Sorry, let me start that again. Mark, chapter 1, verse 40, to chapter 2, verse 17, and it's on page 1002.
So I'm reading from Mark 1, 40 to 7.
A man with leprosy. A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees,
If you are willing, you can make me clean. Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.
I am willing, he said. Be clean. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning.
See that you don't tell this to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.
Instead, he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.
As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in lonely places.
Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
So many gathered there, many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus.
And after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
Son, your sins are forgiven.
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
Why does this fellow talk like that?
He's blaspheming.
Who can forgive sins but God alone?
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts.
And he said 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 said to the paralytic,
I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.
This amazed everyone.
And they praised God, saying,
We have never seen anything like this.
Once again, Jesus went out beside the lake.
A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.
As he walked along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax collector's booth.
Follow me, Jesus told him.
And Levi got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house,
many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples,
for there were many who followed him.
When the teachers of the law, who were Pharisees,
saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors,
they asked his disciples,
Why did Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?
On hearing this, Jesus said to them,
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Thank you guys very much for reading.
Please keep your Bibles open there.
And if you happen to get up very early to watch Ireland,
you might want a pen in hand and a piece of paper.
It will keep you concentrating and awake,
if you're missing some vital sleep.
Well, I don't know how you could sleep
listening to these stories we've just read.
They are amazing.
Let's ask God for his help as we seek to look at them together.
Let's pray.
Our Father, we thank you again for your word.
We thank you for this Gospel of Mark recorded for us,
told by Peter, written down by Mark,
that we can read today in our language,
study it together.
And our purpose for doing this, Father,
is so that we would know Jesus better,
that we would become more like him,
that we would be changed and transformed
as we encounter him in these very stories itself.
May your Holy Spirit be upon us all,
giving us strength physically,
helping us to concentrate,
and giving us spirits to take in
what you are saying to us.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, in the text that we've just had read to us,
Mark is introducing us to three people,
all who have been completely changed.
By a simple encounter with Jesus Christ,
their lives have been radically transformed.
Each one seems to be in a hopeless and helpless situation,
but each one comes determined and dependent,
and on meeting Jesus,
they are renewed and restored.
Now, that shouldn't surprise us,
because that is the very mission of Jesus.
His mission was to come into this world
to change and transform lives.
Now, that's really important for us,
because I don't think there's anybody here
who would say,
there's nothing in my life that I don't want to change.
We all want things to change in our lives.
Perhaps we want to change our circumstances,
maybe a new job.
Maybe we'll want to live somewhere different.
Maybe we're wanting to change our character.
Maybe we feel a little bit kind of introverted,
and we want to be more confident,
and being able to speak to people,
and that people would accept us.
Maybe we want to change our physical looks,
drop a waist size,
build up a bicep or something,
so that people will say,
they're nice.
Maybe we want to change our status.
We want a new partner.
There's something that we would all like to change.
But the problem with all of those examples
that I've given is,
they're all external.
It all has to do with how we see ourselves,
and how other people perceive us.
And the people that Jesus meets here,
they all seem to be concerned with external things.
But as Jesus shows us,
real change starts with the internal things.
In fact,
Jesus deals with our perceived need,
the external,
to demonstrate his desire,
to deal with our real need,
the internal.
I'll read that again.
That's key to our understanding of this section.
Jesus deals with our perceived need,
the external,
to demonstrate his desire,
to deal with our real need,
the internal.
Look at verse 17.
On hearing this,
Jesus said to them,
it is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick.
I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.
He's interested with heart issues.
So let's meet those who encounter Jesus,
and let's see how we too can be people who can change.
The first person that we meet is,
look at verse 40,
a man with leprosy.
Now if you had leprosy,
it destroyed your life.
It affected you physically,
with sores and infections,
resulting in the loss of limbs,
and eyesight,
and eventual death.
Second, it would have affected you socially.
Nobody associated with you for fear of catching the disease.
You were left on your own.
And third, it would affect you religiously.
Anybody with a skin disease like this
was not allowed anywhere near the temple
where people went to worship God.
You were barred.
And the way of describing all of this
was in one word,
unclean.
In Leviticus chapter 13,
this is just a reference for you,
Leviticus 13 verse 45,
this is what the law said
about those who had leprosy.
The person with such an infectious disease
must wear torn clothes,
let his hair be unkempt,
cover the lower part of his face,
and cry out,
unclean, unclean.
As long as he has the infection,
he remains unclean.
He must live alone.
He must live outside the camp.
So this man with leprosy,
we're not even given his name,
perhaps to say just how much an outsider he was,
is somebody who is in desperate need of change.
So it's not surprising,
look at verse 40,
that he comes to Jesus,
falls down on his knees,
and begs Jesus,
if you are willing,
you can make me clean.
You see,
to heal his leprosy
would make him clean.
It would end his physical,
social,
and religious problems
all at once.
And look at Jesus' response.
Verse 41,
filled with compassion,
Jesus reached out his hand
and touched the man.
I am willing,
he said.
Be clean.
Immediately,
the leprosy left him,
and he was cured.
Incredible.
But let's not miss the point here.
Jesus deals with the perceived need,
the external,
to demonstrate his desire
to deal with our real need,
the internal.
Let's see how he encounters this man.
First,
look at what he does.
Verse 41,
look at how Jesus responded.
Jesus reached out his hand
and he touched the man.
Rather than run away,
remember,
he was somebody
if there were crowds around,
would be shouting,
unclean,
and everybody would scarper.
But not Jesus.
He doesn't run away.
He actually reaches out
towards the man
who does keep his distance
by bending down on his knees.
But Jesus crosses that barrier
and he touches the man.
Now touching him
made Jesus one with him.
with one touch,
what the man was,
Jesus became.
You see,
this touching
was an act of identifying
with the man.
The man is unclean.
And so Jesus now,
in the act of touching,
he himself becomes unclean.
But he does it deliberately.
It's Jesus is saying to him,
I am willing to be treated
as you are treated.
I am willing to be shut out,
to be pushed out,
to be left outside,
so that you can be made clean,
so that you can be welcomed,
brought in,
and accepted.
In a way,
through this touching
and identifying,
Jesus is trading places
with this man.
Look at what happens
in verse 45.
Jesus had told him
to go off to the temple.
He ignores that.
Verse 45,
he said,
instead he went out
and began to talk freely,
spreading the news,
mixing with all the people.
As a result,
Jesus could no longer
enter a town openly,
but stayed outside
in the lonely places.
Do we see what's happening?
Jesus,
who was clean,
and on the inside,
walking freely with the people,
has been made unclean
and pushed outside.
The unclean leper,
who was on the outside,
has now been made clean,
and he's walking freely
amongst the people,
accepted.
What's Jesus doing here?
Well, yes,
he does heal this man.
Externally,
all those things
are dealt with,
but I think Jesus
is teaching us
something through this.
This encounter
is a picture
of what Jesus sees
as our real need.
for Jesus knew
that he came
to go to the cross.
And we can picture
Christ on the cross now
with his arms nailed,
spread out.
And with arms spread out,
he is seeking
to reach out,
to cross the barriers,
coming from heaven to earth,
to cross over,
to touch the world.
And through the cross,
what is he doing
but identifying with us?
Jesus comes
to take our uncleanness,
not just the external,
but something greater
and bigger,
the uncleanness
of our sin,
our rebellion.
And he is shut out
from God
for us.
He is pushed outside
to the extremes,
to hell itself
for us.
so that you and I
could be forgiven,
so that we could be
made clean,
so that we could be
welcomed in.
He is trading places
with us.
He is changing us
on the inside
so that we can be
accepted by the Father.
And Jesus transforms us
as he did this man.
He transforms us
so that we can have
a new life externally.
look at how this man's
life is changed,
verse 45.
He went out
and began to talk
freely,
spreading the news.
And that's the work
that he does.
He changes us
in the inside
and he gives us
a new picture,
a new vision
of what life
is all about.
A life where we
can talk freely.
A life where we
can begin to share
and live out
the message of
Jesus Christ.
That's what this
new life is all about.
This man was
radically changed
and radically
transformed.
The second person
that we meet
is a man who
can't walk.
Look at chapter 2,
verse 1.
A few days later
when Jesus again
entered Capernaum,
the people heard
that he had come
home.
So many gathered
that there was
no room left,
not even outside
the door,
and he preached
the word to them.
Some men came
bringing to him
a paralytic,
carried by four
of them.
Now obviously
these guys had
heard about
Jesus,
the healer.
The last time
he was in Capernaum,
back in chapter 1,
verse 32,
Jesus had healed
all the people
who were there,
all those who
had come to him.
Now this poor man,
obviously he's been
left out,
he missed out
on the big healing
thing,
and so he's
determined to
get to Jesus.
Verse 4.
So since they
couldn't get him
to Jesus because
of the crowds,
they made an
opening in the
roof above Jesus
and after digging
through it,
lowered the mat
the paralysed man
was lying on.
Now imagine
the scene,
put yourself there.
This crowded house,
they can't get in
from either way,
either from the
back door,
the front door,
or wherever.
So they go out
round the side,
up the steps,
and onto the
flat roof.
And flat roofs
were just made
of dirt and
all sorts of
things.
And then with
implements,
I don't know,
bit of stick in
their hands,
they start digging
and digging,
and they break
through.
And the crowds
below,
and they look up
and there's dust
and dirt falling
in their eyes,
and then this
man is literally
lowered down,
forcing the
crowd back
as he plunks
himself right
in front of
Jesus,
determined
to get
healing.
Now what Jesus
does is rather
surprising.
Jesus deals
with his
perceived need,
the external,
to prove his
authority to deal
with our real
need,
the internal.
Excuse me.
Jesus deals
with the
perceived need,
the external,
to prove his
authority to deal
with our real
need,
the internal.
Have a look
here again at
how he interacts.
Now I know
we know the
story,
but what would
we expect
Jesus to do
next,
when somebody
falls down
in front of
them who
can't walk?
Well from
our reading
so far in
Mark,
we expect
that he's
going to
tell the
man,
get up
and walk.
That's what
we would
expect him
to do,
but look
what he
says,
verse 5.
When
Jesus saw
their faith,
he said
to the
paralytic,
son,
your sins
are forgiven.
Now this
man and
his friends,
they've all
gotten together,
they've shown
great faith.
They're going
to go to
any lengths
to get to
Jesus,
even if that
means knocking
down the
roof.
They're
determined,
they're
dependent on
getting to
him.
And that's
what Jesus
sees.
That's
primarily what
he's seeing.
He sees
genuine faith.
faith.
Because faith
isn't just
knowing about
Jesus,
knowing that
he can do
all of these
things,
but an
act of
trust that
he alone
can meet
our deepest
need.
And Jesus
sees this
kind of
faith in
this man.
And he
sees this
kind of
faith that
is required
to bring
about an
internal
healing.
And because
he sees
that faith,
he responds
differently and
he says,
your sins
are forgiven.
Now I'm
quite sure
the man
would have
been blown
away by
what Jesus
said.
Quite
shocked.
What's
going on
here?
What do
you mean
my sins
are forgiven?
The paralytic
never came
to Jesus
because he
believed he
needed his
sins forgiven.
He came
because he
wanted his
paralysis
healed.
And it
shows us
that while
we're
concerned with
external
things,
Jesus is
primarily
concerned with
the internal.
After all,
this has
been his
message,
chapter 1,
verse 15.
The time
has come,
he said.
The kingdom
of God
is near.
Repent
and believe
the good
news,
the good
news that
we can
confess we
can be
forgiven and
welcomed into
his kingdom.
freedom.
And so
Jesus,
seeing this
real faith,
genuine
faith,
is willing
to forgive
the man
his sins.
Now,
what Jesus
has just
done and
said has
upset the
religious leaders.
Verse 6.
Some of the
teachers of the
law were
sitting there
thinking to
themselves,
why does
this fellow
talk like
that?
He's
blaspheming.
Who can
forgive sins
but God
alone?
Well, of course,
they were right,
weren't they?
The forgiveness
of sins is the
exclusive right of
God.
No one else has
that right to
forgive sins.
And here's this
man claiming to
forgive sins.
Verse 8.
Immediately,
Jesus knew in
his spirit that
this is what
they were
thinking in
their hearts.
And he
said to
them,
why are you
thinking these
things?
You see,
he not only
sees the
need of
the paralytic,
but he
sees the
true condition
of everybody
else's heart.
He sees
your heart.
He sees my
heart right
now.
He knows
what we're
thinking,
what's going
on.
And knowing
what they're
thinking,
Jesus sets
out to
prove that
he can
forgive.
Verse 9.
So he
says,
which is
easier to
say to
the
paralytic?
Your sins
are forgiven
or get
up and take
your mat
and walk?
Well,
again,
the answer
is simple.
It's much
easier to
say your
sins are
forgiven because
it can't be
proven wrong.
I could say
to any of
you,
I can say
to curse,
curse,
your sins
are forgiven.
You've a lot
of them.
Your sins
are forgiven.
You don't
know.
You don't
know if
they're
forgiven.
You can't
prove it.
On the
other hand,
it's much
more difficult
to say,
get up and
take your
mat and
walk.
Because if
I say
that,
or take
my daughter,
for example,
she can't
hear.
Say,
you're healed.
You can
hear.
you'd
have to
prove it,
wouldn't
you?
So,
Jesus
proves he
can forgive
sins by
providing
evidence.
Verse 10,
so he
says,
but that
you may
know that
the Son
of Man,
and that's
a title of
great authority,
that the
Son of Man
has authority
on earth
with you
to forgive
sins,
he said to
the paralytic,
I tell you,
get up,
take your
mat and
go home.
And he
got up and
he took
his mat and
he walked
out in
full view
of them
all.
Amazing.
And again,
Jesus is
teaching us
through this,
of what he
sees as our
real need.
He isn't
just somebody
who comes
to heal
the external
as great
and as
wonderful
as it
is,
but he
comes to
heal the
internal.
We were
looking at
this very
passage with
some of
the crusader
groups on
Friday night
and I
said to
them,
if you're
lame,
if you
can't walk,
does that
get you
into heaven?
Does that
get you
to be part
of the
kingdom?
No,
it doesn't.
If you're
made well,
does that
get you
into the
kingdom?
No.
But if
you're
forgiven,
does that
get you
into the
kingdom?
It does.
You can
have your
sins forgiven
and be
lame and
be in
the
kingdom.
You see,
he sees,
he shows
us that
he has
the ability
to forgive
sins.
He proves
he has
the authority
to forgive
sins because
this is
most important.
And in
offering
forgiveness,
he is
looking for
the active
faith,
the faith
that he
could see
that people
were determined
and dependent,
trusting that
Jesus alone
can meet
our deepest
need.
the third
person that
we meet
is a
corrupt,
greedy
taxman.
Look at
verse 13.
Once again,
Jesus went
out beside
the lake.
A large
crowd came
to him
and he
began to
teach them.
As he
walked along,
he saw
Levi,
son of
Alphaeus,
sitting at
the tax
collector's
booth.
Now,
tax collectors
are thought
of in the
same way
I would
imagine as
developers and
bankers are
in our
country.
They're not
the most
popular,
despised,
hated.
They're to
blame for
everything.
And Levi's
job was to
collect tax
from his
own people
and from
any of the
traders who
were coming
into the
town.
He would
collect all
of this tax
and then it
would be
handed over
to the
Romans,
the occupying
enemy.
He was
working for
the other
side.
And the
way Levi
was paid
was by
charging a
bit extra
and putting
it into
his pocket.
Not a
nice character.
A historian
by the name
of Philo
writing in
40 AD,
this is what
he said about
tax collectors.
When they
came,
they were
poor men.
But they
amassed much
wealth in
various forms
by defrauding
and embezzling
the people.
They weren't
nice characters.
They were
banned from
the synagogue.
They weren't
allowed in with
the others.
They were a
cause of
disgrace to
the family.
Nobody wanted
a tax collector
as their
friend.
That's the
kind of
person we're
dealing with
here.
And once
again, we
see how
Jesus deals
with this
man.
It's so
surprising.
It's
scandalous.
It's
shocking.
But before
we see how
Jesus interacts
with them,
we want to
introduce some
other people
and their
key to this
story.
They've been
mingling in
the crowd
back in
verse 6.
The teachers
of the law.
The Pharisees.
We see
them in
verse 16.
The teachers
of the law
who were
Pharisees saw
him eating
with the
sinners and
tax collectors.
So they're
following.
They're amongst
the crowd.
They're observing
what's going
on.
And because
of their
very careful
study of
God's law,
because of
the way they
dressed, the
way they
conducted
themselves in
society,
they disapproved
of all those
other people.
They thought
of themselves
as deserving
and righteous,
after all,
they read
their Bibles
and they
encouraged
people to
read their
Bibles and
they told
people where
they weren't
living up to
the Bible.
They were
loved by God
and accepted
by God.
And it was
people like
that that
deserved the
attention.
Externally,
they've got it
all so right
and together.
together.
Now those
are the
people that
we've got.
And Jesus
wants to
teach us
something through
this.
Jesus responds
with grace
to those who
see their
real needs,
the internal,
while he
refuses grace
to those who
rely on their
good efforts,
the external.
Did you get
that?
He responds
with grace to
those who see
their real need,
the internal,
while he
refuses grace
to those who
rely on their
good efforts,
the external.
Again, let's
look at how
he interacts.
Verse 14.
As he walked
along, he saw
Levi, son of
Alphaeus, sitting
at the tax
collector's booth.
Follow me,
Jesus told him.
And Levi got
up and
followed him.
It's shocking.
We've got to
get our minds
around it.
He is
undeserving.
He is
unrighteous.
He is a
greedy and
defrauding
tax man.
And what
does Jesus
do?
He says,
come on
Levi, follow
me.
An outsider
who worked
for the
enemy, hated
by society,
is called
to follow
God's
king.
There's
nothing in
his life
that deserves
such a
call.
But that's
what grace
is.
Grace is
scandalous.
grace takes
the initiative.
It doesn't
wait for
people to
come to
him.
He took
the initiative.
Christ did
by coming
into this
world, by
approaching
people and
going to
people.
He makes
the moves
and he
calls a
rebellious
person like
Levi and
says, come
and follow
me.
what happens
next is
even more
scandalous.
Verse 15.
Jesus is
having dinner
at Levi's
house and
many tax
collectors and
sinners were
eating with
him and
his disciples,
for there
were many
who followed
him.
the sinners
were the
people who
not only
disobeyed
the law,
well they
just lived
completely
outside the
law.
They had
nothing to
do with
it.
They wanted
nothing to
do with
it.
They were
murderers,
violent
people,
thieves,
prostitutes,
drug dealers,
abusers.
They were all
there gathered
together,
wheeling and
dealing with
each other.
They hung
out with
each other.
And where's
Jesus?
Jesus,
do you see
where he is?
Sat right
down in the
middle of
them,
eating dinner
with them.
Not because
he was forced
to, but
because he
wants to.
Willingly,
he's sitting
down amongst
them.
Now,
eating with
such people
was a sign
of solidarity.
It wasn't a
case of endorsing
their behaviour
and saying,
ah, it's
alright what
you do,
it doesn't
matter.
But it
was a sign
of his
solidarity
with alienated
and needy
people.
You see,
Jesus' act
of calling
Levi,
the very act
of going
into his
house and
sitting down
and having
food with
all of his
friends,
is sending
a signal to
all the rest
of the people,
to all the
other sinners,
people like
you and me,
that they
too,
you too,
are called
to follow
Christ.
I've
come for
you.
Well,
of course,
such an
act didn't
go unnoticed,
did it,
by these
ever-watching
Pharisees
sitting on
the outside.
I bet
they were
hungry,
but they
couldn't
bring
themselves
to eat
with such
people.
Verse
16,
when the
teachers
of the
law,
who were
Pharisees,
saw him
eating with
the sinners
and the
tax collectors,
they asked
his disciples,
why does
he eat
with tax
collectors and
sinners?
don't we
think that
the external
is what
really counts?
Good
behaviour,
separation
from bad
people,
standing back
from all
those terrible
lifestyles,
sitting and
reading your
own Bible,
meditating on
the Lord,
singing worship
songs,
isn't that what
it's about?
But for
Jesus,
what counts
is the
internal.
Look at
verse 17,
on hearing
this,
Jesus said
to them,
it is not
the healthy
who need a
doctor,
but the
sick.
I have
not come
to call
the righteous,
but sinners.
The sick
are welcome,
the sinners,
the disobedient,
the rebellious.
They are
the ones
who are
welcome to
join in
and to
follow Jesus.
They're the
ones who
are accepted.
He's saying
and sending
out a clear
message,
that I have
not come
for those
who think
they are
deserving
and righteous,
but I've
come for
those who
are undeserving
and unrighteous.
Just as a
doctor would
never turn
away a sick
person,
so Jesus
is never
going to
turn away
a sinner,
no matter
how rebellious,
no matter
what they
do,
how often
they do
it,
it doesn't
matter.
Because Jesus
responds with
grace to
those who
see their
internal need
while he
refuses grace
to those who
rely on their
external efforts
and think that
they are above
everybody else
and so different.
There is no
grace there.
One writer
put it like
this,
ironically,
he says,
in one
sense,
great sinners
stand
closer to
God
than those
who think
themselves
righteous,
for sinners
are more
aware of
their need
of God's
transforming
grace.
If you're
aware of
your internal
need,
you are
closer to
God
than if you
think,
I am
better and
superior.
three people
who encounter
Jesus and
their lives
are changed,
transformed
radically,
and it
shows us
not only
how we
can change,
but it
shows us
how we
can bring
change to
the world.
Because the
world is
fixated on
the external,
all the
outside
things,
how I
see myself,
how others
perceive me,
that's what's
important.
Jesus says,
no,
it's what I
see,
that's what's
important.
I don't have
time to go
through all
of it,
but let me
just say
this,
as we go
into this
week,
let's be
Christ
where we
go.
Let's be
reaching
out,
reach across
the barriers,
touching.
accepting,
eating,
welcoming,
and let's
point people
as we point
ourselves and
one another
continually to
our amazing
Saviour,
who with
compassion
identifies with
us.
With
authority,
he will
forgive all
our sins,
and with
grace,
calls us
to follow
him and
be part of
what he is
doing.
This is
the Christ
that came
into the
world,
and this
is the
Christ we
are to
bring into
the world,
and we've
got to
live it.
Let's pray
together.
we are
just amazed
at Christ
who comes
to us
in grace,
in
compassion,
reaching
across,
reaching into
our lives,
wherever we
are,
whatever we've
done,
to change
us and
transform
us.
Father,
help us
to know
afresh the
wonder of
your
forgiveness,
but help
us to go
now like
Christ into
the world.
Help us to
do what
Jesus did,
to reach
across those
barriers,
to touch,
to identify,
to sit
and eat,
to be
amongst the
world,
to be with
people,
to point
them towards
Christ,
that we
are all
in need
of grace,
we are all
in need
of forgiveness,
and it's
only Christ
who can
change us
on the
inside,
and give
us a
brighter
future.
So please
help us,
we pray,
in Jesus'
name,
Amen.