The religious leaders present consider Christ’s claim to forgive sin as blasphemy. But Jesus provides eye-opening evidence of His divine authority and of the prophesied Kingdom of God He inaugurated.
Just as Jesus healed the man from His physical paralysis and freed him from his mat, He can heal us from our spiritual paralysis and free us from our sin.
Some of the last words the Apostle Paul ever wrote charge the younger and more timid Timothy to preach the word — always being ready — and to fulfill his ministry before God the Father and Jesus the Coming Judge and King.
Since false teachers had infiltrated the church in Ephesus, scratching the itch of those who wanted their ears tickled with something new, Paul commands Timothy to correct, rebuke, encourage with great forbearance and thorough instruction.
Timothy must also endure hardship and do the work of an evangelist, spreading the Gospel to nonbelievers.
He must preach the word, teach the word, and reach the world — as should we.
The Gospel is always good seed. But it doesn’t always fall on good ground. In the Parable of the Sower (a.k.a. the Parable of the Four Soils), Jesus explains four different reactions to His message: (1) Hard-Hearted Hearers, (2) Fairweather “Fans”, (3) Backburner “Believers”, and (4) Fruitful Followers
After the miraculous catch of fish, Jesus calls Peter and the others to (metaphorically) catch people — that they also may follow Christ. In response to the grace of Christ, let’s respond with faith in Christ. Since we’ve been caught by God’s amazing grace, let’s seek to catch others — with God’s amazing guidance.
Ever have to ask someone, “Did you hear what I just said?” Often, we know that they heard us, but they’re acting as if they didn’t. There’s a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing means audibly perceiving something with one’s ear. Listening means responding to what was heard with appropriate action. In light of all that He has said previously, at the end of the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that it is necessary not to just hear His words, but to do them. For there are essentially two ways to live upon hearing Christ’s words. The wise both hear and do — metaphorically building their house on the rock. The foolish hear but don’t — metaphorically building their house on sand. Those who listen to Christ can stand when the storms come; those who don’t can’t stand the rain. Will we listen to the LORD? Did we hear what Jesus just said?
We’re familiar with the concept of: “My House, My Rules”. The first step of true knowledge is that this world is God’s house; thus, we should follow His rules. The fear (i.e., reverence) of the LORD is the beginning knowledge, but fools despise godly wisdom and instruction. We must keep first things first.
After sunset — that is, after the Sabbath day officially ended — people in Capernaum brought to Jesus both the diseased and demon-possessed for healing and exorcism (respectively). These two different problems require two different treatments. Yet, they are no problem for the compassionate Great Physician.
After Simon told Jesus about his mother-in-law who was sick with a fever, Jesus raises her — healing her immediately. She gives proof of her full recovery by serving them (i.e., preparing dinner). In doing so, she also provides a model response to the grace of Jesus: faithful service. Far from suggesting inferiority, service is angelic and Christ-like. May our faithful service/ministry to Christ — in whatever capacity — demonstrate the proof of God’s gracious, healing touch in our lives.
After leaving the synagogue in Capernaum, Simon and the others tell Jesus about Simon’s mother-in-law who is sick with a fever. Fevers were often thought to be fires in one’s head that were sent from God – fires that only God could “extinguish”.
Immediately after leaving the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus, Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John go to Simon and Andrew’s house. In Mark, Jesus will often be in this house — the ruins of which may have been discovered in the 1960’s.
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