Mark 2:1-12

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• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • Comparative primary texts about Sin and Justice from Mishna and Babylonian Talmud. At Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus, Rutgers University.
  • "Sickness and Sin," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
  • VII, 11-12, 18-22; Tatian's Diatessaron (c. 150-160).
  • Chapter X, On Baptism,  Tertullian (c. 198)
  • I.2, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter XXI, Chapter XXII, On Modesty, Tertullian (c. 217)
  • From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas.
  • Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, John Calvin, 1558:
    • Matthew 9:1-8/Mark 2:1-12/Luke 5:17-26
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "By healing this man who was sick from paralysis Christ shows that men recover all their lost strength in him through faith alone."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "They uncovered the roof - Or, took up the covering, the lattice or trap door, which was on all their houses, (being flat roofed.) And finding it not wide enough, broke the passage wider, to let down the couch."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "It is remarkable that all the three narratives call it "their faith" which Jesus saw. That the patient himself had faith, we know from the proclamation of his forgiveness, which Jesus made before all; and we should have been apt to conclude that his four friends bore him to Jesus merely out of benevolent compliance with the urgent entreaties of the poor sufferer. But here we learn, not only that his bearers had the same faith with himself, but that Jesus marked it as a faith which was not to be defeated--a faith victorious over all difficulties. This was the faith for which He was ever on the watch, and which He never saw without marking, and, in those who needed anything from Him, richly rewarding."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "The whole incident illustrates: (1) The Divine power of Christ. He could assert that he forgave sins without blasphemy. (2) The difference between Christ and his apostles, none of whom claimed to forgive sins (see Acts 8:22-24). (3) It affords a test for all priests who claim to forgive sin. If they possessed power to forgive sins they would have power also to relieve the body of the physical consequences of sin."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2:1 - 3:6, Carl W. Conrad. (Click superscript numbers for commentary.)
  • "Jesus Heals a Paralytic Lowered through a Roof," Michael A. Turton's Historical Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, "a complete verse-by-verse commentary on the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the historicity of people, places, events, and sayings in the world of the Gospel of Mark."
  • "First Thoughts on Year B Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Epiphany 7, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "Perhaps that is what some of us and our congregations need: to be interrupted by human need to remind us what we are about. In the minds of the many ‘paralytics’ of need in our societies: what do we have to do to be heard? Unroof the churches!"
  • "The Paralytic and His Four Friends," "Hunger for Healing," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen, at CrossMarks.
    • "How many of our congregations are "paralyzed"? Unable to move? Stagnant? Stuck? What keeps them that way? What would it take for them to know and believe that the power and authority of God is in their midst? What is the mat that they live on? their comfortable place to stay? that carries them? that they think they need? What would it take for them to get off the mat and carry it?"
  • Sermon Preparation Thoughts and Questions by Wesley White, 2006.
  • Wellspring of the Gospel, Ordinary 7B, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings.
  • "The Interruption," a Reflection on Mark 2:1-12, William R.G. Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia, February, 2000.
    • "And I look out and I see paralysed men and women, paralysed congregations, paralysed ministries and I want to cry; ‘Your sins are forgiven. Rise take up your bed and walk!’ And I treasure those moments of intrusion, when the heavens are torn apart and the Spirit descends and I rise from the water and I know there is hope."
  • "The Morally Disabled," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for This Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family Activity, Support Materials.
    • "What does it mean to be 'disabled?' Is it possible to be morally 'disabled?' How?"
  • Marginally Mark, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
    • "Are we tuned in enough to Jesus / faith issues people around us are wrestling with? Outsiders & insiders?"
  • Mark 2:1-12, in Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's An Exegetical Study of the Common Lectionary, coordinated by Prof. John E. Alsup, features rough translation, disposition, immediate context, broader context, hermeneutical bridge, and contemporary address.
    • "A parallel to the healing stories of Jesus can be found within the teachings regarding the Asclepius Cult (Freedman, 475-476). Asclepius, of human and godly decent, learned the arts of healing and reportedly raised a human from the dead. Later he was stricken by the gods and made a god himself. In the practices of the cult there was a three day purification process that is similar to Jesus' pardoning of sins. The pattern, therefore, of forgiving sins and healing would have been already established among Romans."
  • "They Come..." Jerry Goebel, One Family Outreach. "Focus on scripture from a justice perspective." Exegesis, study, and teen study and activities.
    • "Our Lord does not offer quick fixes or a way out. He offers eternal solutions by inviting God in. In our outreaches to the incarcerated, I would be remiss if I said; 'God must wait until you are released before you can serve him.' Instead, I ask them; 'Are you a prisoner of the county or a prisoner for the Lord? Your choice will decide whether your time here is spent as a criminal in the system or a disciple of the King.'"
  • "Jesus' Authority to Forgive Sins," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • "God Freely Forgives (Mark 2:1-12)," John C. Purdy. Chapter 4 of God With a Human Face (1993), republished at Religion Online.
    • "The liberation of the paralytic points beyond itself. And to what? What is it that we are to know? Jesus tells us plainly: "That you may know that the Human One has authority on earth to forgive sins." This word is addressed both to the rebellious, unbelieving hearts of the scribes and to the naive, trusting hearts of those who brought their friend on the pallet. That word is this: Emmanuel brings forgiveness; God freely forgives sins. That is the primary meaning of the story of the paralytic."
• Articles & Background:
  • "Mark 2: Healing of a Paralytic," "Miracles of Jesus," wikipedia.
  • "Marcan Love, Sotto Voce," Mark Kiley, Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2009.
    • "Mark's community was heir to preaching about Jewish Scriptures concerning love. Homilists, catechists and the final Evangelist used these as well as Paul's hymn to love as interpretative lenses through which to present the Jesus tradition. They suggested in a subtle manner that the Jesus-event is, at root, about love. This article is an appeal to listen to the still whisper that informs Mark's good news."
  • "Magic, Miracles, and The Gospel," L. Michael White. PBS From Jesus to Christ.
    • "Probably in some ways, and more than any other issue within the development of early Christianity and the gospels tradition, miracles present one of the problematic areas."
  • "Miracle? Or Not?" Norma Everist and Burton Everist, The Lutheran, 1999.
    • "The virgin birth and the Resurrection are accepted as miracles, but casting out demons is often interpreted as first-century psychotherapy. On what basis do Lutherans decide which miracles to accept in faith and which to rationalize?"
  • Capharnaum, featuring information and images from 19 seasons of excavations conducted by the late Fr. Virgilio C. Corbo ofm and Fr. Stanislao Loffereda ofm.
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  • Bauckham, Richard, "The Son of Man: 'A Man in My Position' or 'Someone'," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1985.
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  • Bishop, Jonathan, "Parabole and Parrhesia in Mark," Interpretation, 1986.
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  • Blomberg, Craig L., "The New Testament Definition of Heresy (or When Do Jesus and the Apostles Really Get Mad?)," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2002.
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  • Boobyear, George H., "Mark 2:10a and the Interpretation of the Healing of the Paralytic," Harvard Theological Review, 1954.
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  • Cabaniss, Allen, "Fresh Exegesis of Mark 2:1-12," Interpretation, 1957.
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  • Ceroke, Christian Paul, "Is Mark 2:10 a Saying of Jesus?"  The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1960.
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  • Dewey, Joanna, "Literary Structure of the Controversy Stories in mark 2:1 - 3:6," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973.
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  • Gaiser, Frederick J., "'Your Sins Are Forgiven...Stand Up and Walk': A Reading of Mark 2:1-12 in the Light of Psalm 103," Ex Auditu, 2005.
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  • Garland, David E., "'I Am the Lord Your Healer': Mark 1:21-2:12," Review and Expositor, 1988.
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  • Hay, Lewis Scott, "Son of Man in Mark 2:10 and 2:28," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1970.
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  • Hedrick, Charles W., "Miracles in Mark: A Study in Markan Theology and Its Implications for Modern Religious Thought," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 2007.
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  • Hunter, Rodney J., "Preaching Forgiveness in a Therapeutic Age," Journal for Preachers, 2005.
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  • Joy, David, "Markan Subalterns/the Crowd and their Strategies of Resistance: A Postcolonial Critique," Black Theology, 2005.
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  • Keihl, Erich H., "20th Century after Pentecost, Mark 2:1-12," Concordia Journal, 1985.
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  • Keller, Joseph, "Jesus and the Critics: A Logico-Critical Analysis of the Marcan Confrontation," Interpretation, 1986.
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  • Petersen, Norman R., "'Point of View' in Mark's Narrative," Semeia, 1978.
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  • Vannorsdall, John, "Mark 2:1-12," Interpretation, 1982.
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• Reviews:
• Sermons:
  • "By Any Means Necessary," Otis Moss III,  30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2008.
  • "When a Room Is More Than a Room," 19 February 2006, David Zersen, Göttinger Predigten im Internet: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors.
  • "The Paralytic and His Four Friends," Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
  • "God Is in the Details," the Rev. Dr. J. Bennett Guess, Day 1, 2003.
  • "The Unreality of God," the Rev. Dr. Robert Dykstra, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 1999.
  • "Forgiveness, Healing and Wholeness," John Jewell, 2000.
  • "So What Did You Get Out of Worship This Morning," the Rev. William Carter, Day 1, 2000.
  • Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily
    • Ordinary 7, 2009
    • Ordinary 7, 2006
    • Ordinary 7, 2003
    • Ordinary 7, 2000
• With Children:
  • "Grab a Corner of the Blanket," Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons4kids.com.
  • "Fixing a Hole," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
  • "Jesus Heals a Man Who Can't Walk," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "Through the Roof," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
  • "Crossword on Mark 1 & 2," Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
  • "Jesus Heals the Lame Man," online computer java-based coloring pages from Grace Baptist Church of Feeding Hill.
• Drama:
  • "Through the Roof," Nina Wallestad, Dramatic License. Conditions of Use.
  • "Sliding through the Roof," from A Certain Jesus by Jose Ignacio and Maria Lopez Vigil. Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel. Claretian Publications.
• Liturgy:
  • "Celebrating Our Oneness in the Body of Christ," service outline from the Mental Health & Disabilities Program, Mennonite Central Committee, Canada.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art Images: Mark 2:1-12, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
  • Mark 2:1-12, at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
  • Mark 2:1-12, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora, Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use these for free.")
  • Clip Art: Jesus Healing the Lame Man, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Fairest Lord Jesus
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Healing
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Healing
  • Forgiveness
  • Clean/Unclean
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Mark