Mark 2:6-8

Passage

Some of the scribes observed the interaction with Jesus and the paralytic.  They began to consider what was happening.  They conclude that Jesus is harming God’s reputation by saying that the paralytic’s sins are forgiven.  After all, only God can forgive sins.  Jesus knows within Himself that the scribes are considering what is happening.  Jesus asks them why they are considering these things in their hearts.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There are scribes watching Jesus.  We must be careful, however.  It is easy to read these words – especially in modern translations – as if these scribes are doing something wrong.  The Greek doesn’t say this.  The Greek word used here and often translated as “questioning” is dialogidzomai (διαλογίζομαι).  This word doesn’t mean question as in to doubt as much as it means to reason, to think through thoroughly, or to consider carefully.  These scribes aren’t yet to the point of rejecting Jesus or calling Him out.  They aren’t even doubting Him.  They are still considering.  They are still rationalizing.  They are thinking deeply.  These are actually very good things in which God’s people should be involved.

Why is thinking deeply about what God is doing a good thing?  Why is it easy to read this passage and come away ready to condemn these scribes?

Second Thought:

The scribes are considering deeply Jesus’ teachings on the forgiveness of sin.  Truthfully, I can’t particularly fault them for considering this topic deeply.  After all, if someone came into my midst today and told me that they were the Son of God and they had the power to erase my sins, I’d probably think pretty deeply on it as well.  After all, I can forgive people in that I don’t personally hold it against them.  But I cannot in any way force God to forgive them.  Only God knows if they are repentant.  Only God knows if they are truly forgiven.  In no way can I force God’s forgiveness.  The best I can do is to genuinely declare God’s promise of forgiveness to the repentant and then let it be between that person and God.

That being said, it is important to also teach here that we believe Jesus is God.  Being God, Jesus can proclaim a person to be forgiven because He is God.  He can indeed know the mind of God and the repentant nature of the individual.  Therefore, the conclusion the scribes ponder – whether or not Jesus is blaspheming – is not correct.  Jesus is not blaspheming against God because He is God.  That is the very point they are pondering.

Can it be difficult to truly believe Jesus is God?  What kind of doubts might enter our head with respect to this question?  What role does faith play in overcoming these doubts?  What else can help us overcome the doubts?

Third Thought:

If I am correct and we have to give these scribes room to think deeply about God, of what then are they guilty?  They – like all of us – need time to process and think about what they believe.  This is especially true at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  We can no more fault the scribes for thinking about God than we can fault ourselves for pondering what we believe. 

However, it seems that Jesus’ critique of them is that they have kept their pondering in their heart.  They have the Son of God before them and they are keeping their thoughts to themselves!  So often this is the ploy of Satan.  Satan wants to keep us from confidently knowing the truth, so Satan tells us to keep our doubts and our questions locked up inside.  We think if we keep our doubts to ourselves, we’ll eventually get over them on our own and save ourselves the embarrassment of perhaps asking a dumb question.  But if we don’t talk to our mentors about our doubts, we’ll never get confident answers and our doubts will stay doubts.  Jesus isn’t faulting the scribes for taking the time to process what is happening.  Jesus is challenging them to not keep their discernment locked up so deeply within them!

What does this story seem to be saying with respect to the mentors in our life?  What does this story seem to be saying about having a “private” spirituality?  How can keeping things bottled up within us ultimately lead us to a bad result?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 2:9-12