Mark 2
The Message
A Paraplegic
2 1-5 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
6-7 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”
8-12 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . .” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.” And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, stunned—and then praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
The Tax Collector
13-14 Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” He came.
15-16 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the misfits?”
17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”
Feasting or Fasting?
18 The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: “Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don’t?”
19-20 Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”
21-22 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”
23-24 One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: “Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!”
25-28 Jesus said, “Really? Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?” Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no yes-man to the Sabbath. He’s in charge!”
Markos 2
Orthodox Jewish Bible
2 And having entered again into Kfar-Nachum after [many] yamim, it was heard that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is at home.
2 And many were gathered together so that there was no longer any room at the delet, and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking the dvar Hashem to them.
3 And they come bringing to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach a paralytic being carried along by arba’a anashim (four men).
4 And not being able to bring [the paralytic] to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach on account of the multitude, they removed the roof where Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was, and having made an opening, they lowered the mat upon which the paralytic was lying.
5 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having seen the emunah of them, says to the paralytic, Beni, your averos are granted selicha.
6 And there were some of the Sofrim (Scribes) sitting there and thinking about these things in their levavot (hearts),
7 Why is this one speaking thus? He is guilty of Chillul Hashem gidduf (Desecration of the Name, blasphemy). Who is able to grant selicha (forgiveness) to averos (sins) except Hashem? [YESHAYAH 43:25]
8 And, ofen ort (immediately), having had daas in his ruach that in this way they were thinking, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Why are you considering such things in your levavot?
9 Which is easier? To say to the paralytic, Your averos are granted selicha, or to say, Stand and pick up your mat and walk?
10 But in order that you may have daas that the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] has samchut (authority) on haaretz to grant that averos receive selicha, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to the paralytic
11 To you I say, Stand, pick up your mat, and go to your bais.
12 And the man arose, and, ofen ort (immediately), in front of everyone, taking the mat, he went outside. So everyone was astonished and gave kavod to Hashem saying, Never have we seen anything like this!
13 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went out again beside the lake; and all the multitude was coming to him, and he was teaching them Torah.
14 And as he was passing by, he saw Levi Ben Chalfai sitting in the tax office, and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to him, Follow me. And, getting up, Levi (Mattityahu) followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
15 And it came to pass that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach reclined at tish in Levi’s house, and many mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners) were reclining at tish with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and with his talmidim. For there were many, and they were following him.
16 And the Sofrim (scribes) of the Perushim, seeing that Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach eats with choteim (sinners) and mochesim (tax collectors), were saying to his talmidim, With mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners) does he eat?
17 And having heard this, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, It’s not the strong ones that have need of a rofeh (physician) but rather the cholim (sick persons). I did not come to call [the] tzaddikim (righteous ones) but the choteim (sinners) [to teshuva].
18 And the talmidim of Yochanan and the Perushim came with tzomot (fasts). And they come and say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why [do] the talmidim of the Perushim and the talmidim of Yochanan come with tzomot, but your talmidim do not?
19 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, said to them, Surely the Bnei HaChuppah of the Choson (Bridegroom) are not able to undergo tzomot as long as they have the Choson with them, nu? As long as they have the Choson with them, they are not able to undergo tzomot.
20 But yamim (days) will come when the Choson is taken away from them, and then they will undergo tzomot HaYom HaHu.
21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch will pull away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.
22 And no one puts yayin chadash (new wine) into old wineskins; otherwise, the yayin will burst the wineskins and the yayin is lost and so are the wineskins. Instead yayin chadash (new wine) [is put] into new wineskins.
23 And it came about [that] on Shabbos, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was passing through the grainfields, and his talmidim began to make [their] way picking the heads of grain. [DEVARIM 23:25]
24 And the Perushim said to him, Look, why are they engaging in what is not mutar (permissible) in the Torah on Shabbos?
25 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Have you never read in the Tanakh what Dovid HaMelech did when he was in need and he was hungry, he and the ones with him?
26 How he entered into the Beis Hashem during the yamim of Evyatar the Kohen Gadol and the Lechem HaPanim he ate, which to be eaten it is not mutar (permissible) except by the Kohanim, and he gave [some] also to the ones with him. [DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 24:6, SHMUEL BAIS 8:17, VAYIKRA 24:5 9, SHMUEL ALEF 21:1-6]
27 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Shabbos was created for the sake of man and not man for the sake of Shabbos. [SHEMOT 23:12; DEVARIM 5:14]
28 Therefore, HaBen HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13, 14] is even Adon HaShabbos. [T.N. This book, which depends heavily on the preaching of Kefa from earliest times has been dated in the late forties or fifties, C.E.]
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International