Podcast Introduction

Though this is season 12 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, today Nov 13, 2021 marks the 17th anniversary of Lifespring Media. I’ll talk after our reading & my comments on the reading about the early days, from my perspective anyways. I won’t take up a lot of time, but I think it’s good to review once in a while, don’t you? But for now, let’s get on with the show. I’ll take off my party hat for a bit, but you can keep yours on if you want to.

Today we’re going to read Mark 1-2, and I’m calling the episode “Action!”

Introduction to Mark

No book has been translated more than Mark’s Gospel. One reason is that it is the shortest Gospel, but perhaps an even bigger reason is that the book was written for the Romans, not people who were familiar with Judaism in the first century. 

Mark, also known as John-Mark, was not one of the twelve disciples. But it is likely that he was part of the crowds that often followed Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that Mark was the first written of the four Gospels, though some think Matthew was the first. It is quite likely that it was written around 50 A.D. Acts 12:12 tells us that the early church met in Mark’s mother, Mary’s house, in Jerusalem.

The book is full of movement. We see Jesus in action. The words like “immediately” and “at once” often.

What Jesus did is more the subject of Mark’s Gospel than what He said. Commentator A.T. Roberson said, “The Gospel of Mark pictures Christ in action. There is a minimum of discourse and a maximum of deed.”

Speaking of action, Jesus is portrayed here as the Servant of God, as One who is going about doing the work of God. 

Since Mark was not one of the twelve disciples, where did he get the information contained in the book? Church tradition has it that the Apostle Peter was Mark’s main source. We know from 1 Peter 5:13 that Mark was with Peter, and Peter called him “my son”, as an older man might refer to a beloved student.

As one of the twelve, we know that Peter was an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry. Listen again to what A.T. Robertson wrote, Mark’s Gospel is “fullest of striking details that apparently came from Peter’s discourses which Mark heard, such as green grass (6:39), two thousand hogs (5:13), looking round about (3:5,34).” 

And another indication of Peter’s input, also from Robertson: “Peter usually spoke in Aramaic and Mark has more Aramaic phrases than the others.

Comments on Mark 2

Let’s look for a moment at chapter 2, verses 3-5. Here it is again: 

3 Four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. 4 Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where Jesus was. Then they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

So here’s the situation. Jesus has begun His ministry, and he is now known far and wide for the miracles and healing He has done. And now he is in a home, speaking God’s Word to a crowd. It’s so crowded that there is no room in the house. And the friends of this paralyzed man wanted Jesus to heal their friend, but they can’t get close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they took him in his cot up to the roof where they made a hole through which they could lower their friend to where Jesus was speaking. And now here is the key phrase: When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

When Jesus saw their faith. When Jesus saw their faith.

How many of us say we have faith, and yet do nothing to show it? Faith is more than just mentally saying, “I believe.” It’s more than just saying, “Amen” when the preacher says something that we agree with. It’s more that “Liking” a FB post. This man’s friends did something that was radical. They so believed that Jesus could heal their friend (which Jesus did do, in addition to forgiving his sins) that they somehow got him (in his cot) to the roof of a house, broke a hole in the roof while an astonished crowd watched, interrupted the great Teacher and Miracle Worker, and presented their friend to Him.

I’m sure most of the people there thought that these men were out of their minds. Foolish. Crazy. Rude. Out of line. Call it what you will. 

But Jesus saw their faith.

Faith has legs. Faith takes action. It doesn’t just wait around for God to move. Faith says, “God will, and I will go where He is.”

When was the last time your faith had legs?

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch.1-2 GW

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