Mark 1:40-45 & Mark 2:1-12
Q.1. Why would the leper have doubts that Jesus would want to heal him? How did Jesus treat him? Why did Jesus ask the leper to keep the miracle to himself? Why did Jesus send him to a priest? – (Mk.1:40-45)
Lepers were untouchable to all but their own. It was not surprising that the leper expressed some doubts about Christ’s willingness to heal him. We are told that Jesus was moved with compassion. That compassion expressed itself by His TOUCHING the leper. No one but another leper had touched him for years. It was a healing touch. It would have been natural for the leper to want others to know. However, Jesus wanted a priest to be the first to check out the validity of the healing – go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them (Mk.1:44 c.f. Lev.14:1-22; Mt.5:17-19). The Gospel writers did not record whether he ended up going to a priest. However, he could not contain his excitement – and spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city but stayed out in the unpopulated areas … (Mk.1:45). That was the very reason why Jesus had strongly warned the leper to not say anything to anyone (Mk.1:43-44).
Q.2. What did Jesus do upon His return to Capernaum? How did the Scribes react to His promise of forgiveness? Was their reasoning correct? How did Jesus prove that He was indeed God? – (Mk.2:1-12)
Jesus and His disciples returned to Capernaum, probably to Peter’s house. Some eager friends, finding the crowd prevented them from coming to Jesus, – removed the roof above Him and … let down a mattress on which a paralytic was lying (Mk.2:4). In an unusual turn of events – ‘Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic man, Son, your sins are forgiven’ (Mk.2:5). The Scribes reacted in their hearts – Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming: Who can forgive sins but God alone? (Mk.2:7). Their reasoning that only God has the authority to forgive sins was fully accurate … their conclusion that He was blaspheming for implying that He was God was fully wrong. In reality, such a claim is uncheckable, for anyone can claim to forgive someone’s sins. In order to prove that He had the authority, Jesus offered a checkable proof – But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” (Mk.2:10-11). To the amazement of the crowd, the paralytic man immediately obeyed (c.f. Mk.2:12).