Mark 2 Devotional

Authority to Forgive

“On hearing this, Jesus told them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.””Mark 2:17 (BSB)

Four men dig through a roof to lower their paralyzed friend in front of Jesus, and the first thing Jesus gives him is not the ability to walk. He tells the man his sins are forgiven (2:5). The scribes object silently, and their reasoning is sound: only God can forgive sins (2:7). Jesus does not dispute that. Instead he heals the man in front of everyone, so they will know that the Son of Man has that authority on earth (2:10-12).

The rest of the chapter shows who receives it. Jesus calls Levi away from his tax booth and then eats with tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees complain, he explains that he came for sinners the way a doctor comes for the sick (2:17). The forgiveness only God can give is now sitting at a table with the people who need it most. You do not have to become healthy before coming to this doctor. Your need is the very reason he came.

To think about: What would change if you came to Jesus today with your need instead of waiting until you felt more presentable?