According to Mark 2:6 some of the scribes, i.e. Jewish scholars or rabbis, were there with Jesus in his home. In order to understand the timeframe of Jesus’ ministry, we need to keep in mind that all these things took place before the imprisonment of John and in the context of Jesus not yet choosing his Apostles (Mark 3:13-19). While he did have a few disciples at this point, he was still calling them, and it was out of their increased number that he chose the Twelve. Also, at this point we are still within the 40 day period of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness of people, which we established in an earlier study.[1] Finally, as we shall find out in later studies both in this chapter and in that of Mark 3, many of these things occurred during the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, cir. 27 AD, with Jesus’ baptism occurring in the sixth calendar month.
The Jewish teachers didn’t care for Jesus’ words about forgiving the paralytic’s sins. While they didn’t audibly object to what Jesus said, they thought it and may have turned to one another and whispered among themselves that this was very presumptuous of the young rabbi, saying in their hearts that only God is able to forgive sins (Mark 2:6-7).
Ignorance has a way of making itself look pious and very loyal to God, when it isn’t that way at all. Ignorance of God’s truth, especially among those who have dedicated their lives to knowing God and teaching his word to men, is no excuse (cp. John 3:9-12). The problem is that rather than seeking the Lord for understanding, men often like to quote other men to show that their own thoughts are correct. So they compare what they believe to be true with what other, respected scholars say is true and conclude what the truth must be, but, as Paul concludes, such methods for coming to know the truth aren’t very wise (2Corinthians 10:12; cp. Proverbs 26:12).
Most likely, we’ve all experienced a time when someone we are speaking with doubts our word. He or she doesn’t have to say a word, for we know their thoughts, concerning what we’ve said, simply by observing their expression. Something similar to this occurred in Mark 2:6-8, when Jesus perceived in his own heart what the scribes where thinking in theirs. So, he replied to their doubts, saying: “Why do you reason so in your hearts? Which is easier to say: ‘your sins are forgiven’ or ‘rise, take up your bed and walk?’” (Mark 2:8-9). In other words, Jesus was addressing the scribes’ false teaching that all disease is demonic and the result of sin. After all, if they are able to cast out demons, which have caused a particular disease in a person, whom they are treating, and since the disease was the result of sin, wouldn’t the cure be the same as one’s sins being forgiven? If disease = sin, then the other side of that equation is cure = forgiveness of sins!
In order to prove his words, Jesus then told the paralytic: “Arise, take up your bed and walk!” (Mark 2:10-11), and the man did as Jesus told him to do, and the scribes and the throng of people within Jesus’ home and filling his courtyard witnessed the whole affair (Mark 2:12). However, all anyone could say was: “We never saw it this way!” Yet, it isn’t difficult to see the logical equation that, if disease is the result of sin, then the cure must be the forgiveness of sin. So, could the scribes ‘forgive’ sins by casting out demons? No, they couldn’t, because only God can forgive sins (cp. Psalm 51:4). Therefore, disease isn’t always the result of sin. Nevertheless, Jesus not only used the healing of the paralytic to expose their false teaching but also to support his own claim that he could forgive sins, because, if he did speak blasphemy, as the scribes believed (Mark 2:7), how could he heal the man who was unable to walk (cp. John 9:30-31; Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 1:28-29).
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[1] See my earlier study: Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness.
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