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: NRSV, RSV, 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- Historical References, Commentary and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, (c. 217)
- From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas.
- Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, John Calvin, 1558:
- 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:
- Concise Exegesis, Richard Donovan, lectionary.org.
- "Paralytic on a Platter," D. Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2012.Critical Notes.
- "Digging down to healthy understanding" Peter Woods, I Am Listening, 2012.
- "Following Jesus is not a formulary of positive outcomes."
- "They Removed the Roof," Martha Spong, Reflectionary, 2012.
- "Sometimes I wish someone would do this for me, put me right in the middle of it with Jesus, put me right in front of his face and make it so he will look me in the eye and see me and fix what is wrong with me."
- Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours,
Mark 2:1-12, David Ewart, 2012.
- "When Jesus calls the man, 'Son,' he breaks the social barriers that normally isolate disabled persons."
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- 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."
- "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.
-
"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.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.
- Bauckham, Richard,
"The Son of Man: 'A Man in My Position' or 'Someone'," Journal for
the Study of the New Testament, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Bishop, Jonathan,
"Parabole and Parrhesia in Mark," Interpretation, 1986.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - 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.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Boobyear, George
H., "Mark 2:10a and the Interpretation of the Healing of the Paralytic,"
Harvard Theological Review, 1954.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Cabaniss, Allen,
"Fresh Exegesis of Mark 2:1-12," Interpretation, 1957.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Ceroke, Christian
Paul, "Is Mark 2:10 a Saying of Jesus?" The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly, 1960.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Dewey, Joanna,
"Literary Structure of the Controversy Stories in mark 2:1 - 3:6,"
Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - 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.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Garland, David E.,
"'I Am the Lord Your Healer': Mark 1:21-2:12," Review and Expositor,
1988.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Hay, Lewis Scott,
"Son of Man in Mark 2:10 and 2:28," Journal of Biblical Literature,
1970.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hedrick, Charles
W., "Miracles in Mark: A Study in Markan Theology and Its Implications
for Modern Religious Thought," Perspectives in Religious Studies,
2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hunter, Rodney J.,
"Preaching Forgiveness in a Therapeutic Age,"
Journal for Preachers,
2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Joy, David, "Markan
Subalterns/the Crowd and their Strategies of Resistance: A Postcolonial
Critique," Black Theology, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Keihl, Erich H.,
"20th Century after Pentecost, Mark 2:1-12," Concordia
Journal, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Keller, Joseph,
"Jesus and the Critics: A Logico-Critical Analysis of the Marcan
Confrontation," Interpretation, 1986.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Petersen, Norman R., "'Point of
View' in Mark's Narrative," Semeia, 1978.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Vannorsdall, John, "Mark 2:1-12,"
Interpretation, 1982.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Bauckham, Richard,
"The Son of Man: 'A Man in My Position' or 'Someone'," Journal for
the Study of the New Testament, 1985.
- Sermons:
- "When the Roof Crumbles," the Rev. Reggie Weaver, Day 1, 2012.
- "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.
- "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
- With Children:
- Jesus Heals the Paralytic, Dianne Deming, Children's Sermons Today, 2012.
- "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:
- 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:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Mark