Marcos 2:6 Comentario

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's healing a man that was sick of a palsy (Mar 2:1-12). II. His calling of Matthew from the receipt of custom, and his eating, upon that occasion, with publicans and sinners, and justifying himself in so doing (Mar 2:13-17). III. His justifying his disciples in not fasting so much as those plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day (Mar 2:23-28). All which passages we had before, Mt. 9 and 12.

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days,.... After he had been preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee, and after he had spent some days in prayer, and private retirement in desert places: and it was noised that he was in, the house; a report was spread throughout the city that he was in the house of Simon and Andrew, where he was before, and where he used to be when in Capernaum. And again he entered into Capernaum after some days,.... After he had been preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee, and after he had spent some days in prayer, and private retirement in desert places: and it was noised that he was in, the house; a report was spread throughout the city that he was in the house of Simon and Andrew, where he was before, and where he used to be when in Capernaum. Mark 2:2 mar 2:2 mar 2:2 mar 2:2And straightway many were gathered together,.... From all parts of the city, insomuch that there was no room to receive them; in the house: by which it should seem to be a large one, though not large enough to hold such a numerous company as were got together: no, not so much as about the door; or the places before the door, the porch, the court, or courtyard. The crowd was so great, that neither the house, nor the out places before, could hold them, nor could they come even near the door; and he preached the word unto them. The Ethiopic version renders it, "he spake his own word to them that came to him"; he preached the Gospel, the word of grace and truth, of life and salvation, to as many as could come near him, and were within the hearing of him. To me it seems, that our Lord went up into an upper room, and out of the window preached to the people, that were, in great numbers, without doors; and the following narrative seems to confirm this conjecture.

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?.... They took Christ to be a mere man, and reasoned with themselves, that he must be a blasphemer, in assuming that to himself, which was peculiar to God: they seem astonished at his words, and wonder at his arrogance, and to be filled with indignation and resentment at him; saying, who can forgive sins but God only? this was a generally received maxim with them, and a very just one. The Chaldee paraphrase of Job 14:4, runs thus; "who can give a pure man out of a man that is defiled with sins, but God, who alone is he, , "that can pardon him?"'' They even deny that Metatron, so they call the angel in Exo 23:20, of whom they say, that his name is as the name of his master, has a power of forgiving sins; for which reason the Israelites rejected him as a messenger (i). They were right in saying, that none but God could forgive sin, against whom it is committed; but wrong in charging Christ with blasphemy on this account; because he is truly God, as well as man, as his omniscience and omnipotence hereafter manifested, did abundantly show. That no mere creature can forgive sin, is certain: good men may, and ought to forgive one another, and even their very enemies; but then they can only forgive sin as an injury done to themselves, not as committed against God. The ministers of the Gospel may be said to remit sins ministerially, or declaratively, by preaching the doctrine of pardon, declaring, that such as believe in Christ shall receive the remission of sins; but for any man to assume such a power to himself, as to grant pardons and indulgences, to absolve from sins, is anti-christian, as the pope of Rome does; in which he takes that to himself, which is peculiar to God; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, Th2 2:4. Nor can any man procure the forgiveness of his sins by any thing he has, or can do; not by his riches, which will not profit in a day of wrath, they being not a sufficient ransom price for a man's self, or any of his brethren and friends; nor by his repentance, for though this, and remission of sins, go together in grace and experience, yet repentance is not the cause of remission of sins, but rather the effect of remission applied; nor by his faith, for faith does not procure, but receives this blessing: and much less by good works, for then the forgiveness of sins would not be according to the riches of grace; and a man would be saved by his works, since a principal part of salvation lies in the pardon of sin; and besides the blood of Christ would be shed in vain. That God only can forgive sin, is evident, because it is against him, and him only, that men sin: sin is a transgression of his law, a contrariety to his nature, and a contradiction of his will, an affront to his justice and holiness, a contempt of him, who is the lawgiver, that is able to save and to destroy; it is of the nature of a debt, which he only can loose from. Moreover, if there were any besides himself that could forgive sin, he would have one equal with him, and like unto him; whereas, "who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?" Mic 7:18. This is a prerogative peculiar to him, which he challenges to himself: "I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions", Isa 43:25, but then this is common to all the three divine persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit. The Father, he has prepared this grace in his own heart; for the moving cause of it, is his sovereign grace and mercy; he has promised and secured it in the covenant of his grace; he set forth, and sent forth his Son to obtain it, by the shedding of his blood, that so his justice might he satisfied; and it is for Christ's sake he forgives all trespasses. The Son of God is concerned in it: as man, his blood was, shed for it; and that being the blood, not of a mere man, but of him that is God, as well as man, it was effectual to that purpose; it is in his name that it is preached, and he is exalted as a Saviour to give it; and as the advocate of his people he calls for it, and requires it; and as he is truly and properly God, he has equal power to bestow it, and apply it as his Father. The holy Spirit, as he makes men sensible of their need of it, he shows it to them, and their interest in it; he sprinkles the blood of Christ upon their consciences, and declares them pardoned through it; he bears witness of the truth of it to them, and seals it up unto them; so that it is wholly of God. (i) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 38. 2. & Gloss. in ib.

(non occ.) Further, He first healed by the remission of sins that which He had come to seek, that is, a soul, so that when they faithlessly doubted, then He might bring forward a work before them, and in this way His word might be confirmed by the work, and a hidden sign be proved by an open one, that is, the health of the soul by the healing of the body.

Now there were some of the scribes sitting there, thinking in their hearts, etc. The scribes speak truly, that no one can forgive sins but God alone, who through them also forgives, to whom He has granted the power to forgive. And therefore Christ is proved truly to be God because He can forgive sins like God. They bear true witness to God but are deceived by denying the person of Christ. The Jews thus err, who although they believe that Christ both is God and can forgive sins, yet do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. But the Arians err much more foolishly, who, while conquered by the words of the Gospel, do not dare to deny that Jesus is the Christ and that He can forgive sins, nevertheless they are not afraid to deny Him as God. But He, desiring to save the faithless, manifests Himself to be God by both the knowledge of hidden things and the power of deeds. For it follows: As soon as Jesus perceived in His spirit that they thus reasoned within themselves, He said to them: Why do you think these things in your hearts? He shows Himself to be God who can know the hidden things of the heart. And in a certain way, He speaks silently: With the same majesty and power by which I observe your thoughts, I can also forgive sins to men. Understand from yourselves what the paralytic gains. What is easier to say to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven," or to say: "Rise, take up your bed, and walk"? There is a great difference between saying and doing. Whether the paralytic’s sins are forgiven only the one who forgave knows. But "Rise and walk," both he who rose and those who saw him rising could approve. Therefore, a carnal sign is made that the spiritual might be proven; although it is of the same virtue to forgive the faults of both the body and the soul. And it is given to us to understand that many bodily weaknesses occur because of sins. And for this reason perhaps sins are forgiven first, so that the causes of the weakness being removed, health may be restored. Indeed, there are five differentiations of causes for which we are afflicted with bodily troubles in this life. For we are either burdened with the infirmity of the just body to increase merits through patience, as the blessed fathers, Job and Tobias and countless martyrs in both Testaments. Or, to protect the virtues received, lest they perish by the temptation of pride, as the apostle Paul, to whom a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan was given to buffet him, lest he be exalted by the abundance of revelations. Or, to understand and correct our sins, as Mary the sister of Aaron in the desert was struck with leprosy for her audacity and prideful words. Or, as the paralytic of whom we speak, who could only be healed of his weakness after his sins were first forgiven. Or, for the glory of God who saves, either by Himself or through His servants, as the man born blind in the Gospel, who neither sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. Like Lazarus, whose sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Or, for the commencement of eternal damnation, belonging to and being proper to the reprobate, like Antiochus and Herod, who both in their time resisting God, showed to all by their present afflictions the miseries they were to suffer in perpetual hellish torments. To whom agrees the prophet's word: Crush them with double destruction. Hence it is necessary in all temporal adversities we endure, with humility to give thanks to the Lord, and being conscious of our infirmity, to rejoice in the remedies bestowed on us. It is necessary to diligently explore our works and thoughts upon returning to our conscience, and whatever we find we have sinned in, let us cleanse with worthy punishment; whatever we discover that, by pride, we have believed to be rightly done but is lost to this faulty vanity, let us likewise chastise with humble satisfaction. For this often becomes a cause of scourges for us. However, it is the characteristic of the perfect and a special gift of men to be scourged for the increase of rewards. But to be driven by temporal blows to eternal torments is the punishment of the impenitent reprobate.

The Pharisees accused the Lord of blasphemy because He forgave sins, since this belongs to God alone. But the Lord gave them yet another sign of His Divinity — the knowledge of their hearts, for the heart of each person is known to God alone, as the prophet also says: "Thou alone knowest the hearts of all" (3 Kings 8:39; 2 Chron. 6:30). Meanwhile the Pharisees, although the Lord revealed what was in their hearts, remain insensible, and do not concede to the One who knows their hearts that He is also able to heal sins.

Christ preaches in Capernaum, Mar 2:1, Mar 2:2. A paralytic person is brought to him, whose sins are pronounced forgiven, Mar 2:3-5. The scribes accuse him of blasphemy, Mar 2:6, Mar 2:7. He vindicates himself, and proves his power to forgive sins, by healing the man's disease, Mar 2:8-11. The people are astonished and edified, Mar 2:12. He calls Levi from the receipt of custom, Mar 2:13, Mar 2:14. Eats in his house with publicans and sinners, at which the Pharisees murmur, Mar 2:15, Mar 2:16. He vindicates his conduct, Mar 2:17. Vindicates his disciples, who are accused of not fasting, Mar 2:18-22; and for plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day, Mar 2:23-26; and teaches the right use of the Sabbath, Mar 2:27, Mar 2:28.

HEALING OF A PARALYTIC. ( = Mat 9:1-8; Luk 5:17-26). (Mar 2:1-12) And again he entered into Capernaum--"His own city" (Mat 9:1). and it was noised that he was in the house--no doubt of Simon Peter (Mar 1:29).

But there were certain of the scribes--"and the Pharisees" (Luk 5:21) sitting there--those Jewish ecclesiastics who, as Luke told us (Luk 5:17), "were come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem," to make their observations upon this wonderful Person, in anything but a teachable spirit, though as yet their venomous and murderous feeling had not showed itself. and reasoning in their hearts.