First, see how the four men showed PERSEVERANCE in getting their friend to Jesus. But they also clearly had FAITH motivating their perseverance, believing that Jesus would heal their friend. Perseverance motivated by faith sees results! How often do WE give up simply because we are confronted by obstacles? If our actions are motivated by faith to start with, that will enable us to continue, despite opposition or simple every-day hindrances.

Second, consider the teachers of the law; they were startled at Jesus pronouncing forgiveness of sins over the man. They rightly recognised that only God can do this, but couldn't take the next step that perhaps Jesus was there as God's representative - or more!

Finally, look at Jesus himself; see the calm way he handled the interruption coming through the roof! People matter more to him than sermons, so when a man in need appears on the scene coming on the arms of faith, Jesus pauses to give a lesson in love! Today Jesus is still more concerned with people than programmes or services!

D. Application?

1. Ask the Lord to so motivate you by faith that perseverance will be a

clearly observed characteristic of your life.

2. Ask the Lord to help you be more concerned with people than with

things or activity, so that you can be a channel of His love to them.

Chapter: Mark 2

Passage: Mark 2:13-17

A. Find Out:

1. What did Jesus do when the crowd came to him? v.13

he began to teach the crowd

2. Where did he see Levi sitting? v.14

sitting at the tax collector's booth

3. What did Jesus tell him to do? v.14

. "Follow me," Jesus told him

4. Where did they next go? v.15

Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house

5. Why did the Pharisees object? v.15,16

Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and `sinners'?"

6. Who did Jesus say he had come for? v.17

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

B. Think :

1. Why do WE need teaching by Jesus?

2. What sort of man do you think Levi REALLY was, to have left his money

and followed Jesus like this?

3. How may WE have wrong attitudes towards others like these Pharisees?

C. Comment :

We see, first of all, Jesus beside the lake of Galilee with large crowds coming to him. His first desire is to teach them; he wants each of us to understand the plans and purposes of God. That is one of the main reasons for doing these studies, that Jesus can teach us His ways. Next we see him calling Levi who was one of that much disliked group, the tax collectors. They worked for the Romans and in the eyes of the people they were "real sinners!" Suddenly Levi has to leave all that and go after Jesus, to who knows where! Perhaps he was at that place that many come to, fed up with his materialistic lifestyle and was obviously ready to leave it all and let Jesus lead him into a new life.

Then, by contrast, we see the reaction of the Pharisees, these religious teachers of the Law of God. They missed the fact that God loves all men, even though ALL men ARE sinners. What a contrast there is here between "sinful" Levi, who in childlike faith left all to follow the Son of God, and the self-righteous Pharisees who were more concerned with law than God himself! It's not what we were but how we now respond to Jesus that counts!

D. Application?

1. Pray today, "Lord to teach me your ways".

2. Am I open to Jesus leading ME into a new lifestyle?

Chapter: Mark 2

Passage: Mark 2:18-22

A. Find Out:

1. Who were known to be fasting? v.18

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting

2. What objection was brought to Jesus? v.18

Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"

3. In his answer, how did Jesus describe himself? v.19

the bridegroom

4. When did he say those with him would fast? v.20

the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

5. What were the two pairs of things that Jesus said don't go together? v.21 & v.22

unshrunk cloth on an old garment ... new wine into old wineskins

6. Why didn't they go together? v.21 & v.22

the new piece will pull away from the old ... the wine will burst the sk

B. Think :

1. What do you think that "traditional religion" is about?

2. How do you think the life with Jesus is supposed to be different?

3. How does Jesus show you can't mix old and new?

C. Comment :

Fasting (temporarily abstaining from food) was being practised by two other religious groups, and the people wondered why Jesus' followers weren't appearing "more spiritual" in the same way! Religious people like to look spiritual but Jesus is more concerned with truth and reality!

Jesus first answered these people by simply pointing out that being with him was such a great joy, with all that was happening, that fasting was inappropriate. He did hint that his followers WILL have reason to fast and seek God later on, at his death, but that is not yet.

He then gave two pairs of things that don't go well together. He is saying, in effect, that you can't put new things with old because they just don't go together. The inference is, in the light of the comparison between his followers and other religious followers, that you shouldn't try mixing the new life that he is bringing with the old rigid traditional form of religion that these others had. What he has brought is something so radically new that it wont mix with the old. (This is in no way to be seen as Jesus saying DON'T fast).

D. Application?

1. Is your "religion" the old formal religion based upon religious behaviour,

or is it the life transforming experience of knowing Jesus?

2. Thank Him for the wonder of it today.

Chapter: Mark 2

Passage: Mark 2:23-27

A. Find Out:

1. What were Jesus' disciples doing? v.23

they began to pick some heads of grain

2. Why did the Pharisees object? v.24

why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath

3. Who did Jesus remind them about? v.25

Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?

4. Whose bread had he taken? v.26

the consecrated bread

5. What did Jesus say about the Sabbath? v.27

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

B. Think :

1. Christians hold Sunday as their "day of rest". How do people stop it

being that?

2. At the same time as being a rest day, God wants it to be a blessing day!

How can we make it more and more a day that is a blessing?

3. How did Jesus view this day of rest, the Sabbath?

C. Comment :

In Deuteronomy 23:25 God's Law allowed you, as you passed by a field of grain, to take a handful and eat it, so what the disciples were doing was common, accepted practice. The problem was WHEN they were doing it!

The Pharisees, so keen on making sure the Law was fully kept, had taken what God had said and interpreted it in tiny detail using their own understanding. They had taken God's command not to work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) and listed over 200 things that constituted "work" - including picking grain, seen as reaping! The Pharisees then used this as an opportunity to criticise Jesus.

Jesus reminded them of what King David had done when he was in need when he had taken bread which the Law set aside for priests. The Pharisees had to accept that David did what was right so, said Jesus, in the present situation you should understand that God made the Sabbath to bless man, not the other way round. When God gives us laws He does so to bless us not to unnecessarily curtail us! Christians have often sought to add to God's laws and prescribe as unlawful things that God has not said are unlawful! Beware!

D. Application?

1. Do we both honour the Lord on a Sunday AND seek to use it as a day of

blessing?

2. Do we extend God's things for our purposes, and to condemn others?

RECAP: "Increasing Conflict" - Mark 2

SUMMARY :

In these 4 studies we have seen :

  - four men bringing their paralysed friend to Jesus

  - Jesus forgiving the man and then healing him

  - the teachers of the law being upset at Jesus' claim to be able

     to forgive sins (FIRST upset)

  - Jesus teaching the crowds by the lake

  - Jesus calling Levi to follow him

  - the Pharisees objecting to Jesus eating with the tax collectors

     (SECOND upset)

  - Jesus questioned about why his disciples weren't fasting

   (THIRD upset)

  - the Pharisees objecting to Jesus' disciples eating ears of

     corn on the Sabbath (FOURTH upset)

COMMENT :

We have seen Jesus, as God's Son, forgiving sins, healing, calling sinners and teaching on enjoying life with God. At the same time we have also seen the OPPOSITION from the so-called "religious" people of the day who object to WHO Jesus appears to be. Jesus simply deals with this opposition by teaching with patience and wisdom.

LESSONS :

1. Faith needs perseverance

2. People are more important than activities

3. Jesus wants to lead us into a new lifestyle

4. Jesus wants us to be open to the lost and unlovely

5. Knowing Jesus is to be life transforming

6. Sunday is to be a day of joy and blessing

PRAY :

1.Ask the Lord to help in applying these lessons above to your own life.

2.Thank Him for the wonder of the life He brings.

PART 3 : Expanding Ministry & Continuing Conflict

Observe in this next Part how the OPPOSITION continues but Jesus response is to continue to patiently teach and then expand his ministry by his disciples.