MARK 2:1-28
LAW IS IMPOTENT
Because:
1. Law has no authority or power Vs 1-12.
Finally, the Son of God came into our world; governed and ruled by those appointed by the people, for the people and removed by the people.
Rulers all over the world assert their authority and control through the obedience of laws and sophisticated structures of power manned by fellow men. In other words, man has no direct authority and power by word alone over fellow men – only God has such power and authority. Whatever power man exercises, it is not direct as in the case of God by word alone; and this is the real enslavement of humans by fellow men. These are the ravages of sin which law always causes, slavery in so many different ways.
The saying is so true that man makes an image and then worships that image i.e., lends his obedience to that image, whose words are empty unless by use of hands of fellow men (enslavement). Isa. 4417
The Scripture does not advocate for any type/method of governance whether democratic or dictatorial – but its stand is clear:
Where there is law, there sin abounded, bringing forth God’s wrath; but where there is no law, grace abounded – those of the kingdom, Jesus and the disciples.
Jesus perfectly demonstrates in these verses, that law reveals sin and disobedience to God, and that God alone has the authority and power over man’s life.
Jesus had just entered Capernaum and instantly many people gathered around him and there was no room left in the building.
The contrast between the works demanded by law and those of God’s grace is shocking:
Jesus with a few of his disciples on one side, and the rest of the crowd, led by the people of the law, the lawyers, priests, Pharisees, the temple representatives of the High priest and the governor, etc. on the other side.
It was a huge crowd described as people of the law – (i.e., governed by people instead of the Lord Christ – and his Gospel of grace).
As he was teaching in a heavily packed audience, more eloquent than words, a prostrate human body was lowered through the roof of that house to his feet, thereby interrupting his teaching.
Not a word was uttered by either the paralytic or by those who carried the pallet.
Jesus saw the effects of human suffering (enslavement of sin) the result of their rebelliousness against God’s divine authority. Now he was ready to demonstrate his divine power compared to the human instruments of law.
To the paralytic in prostrate form Jesus uttered the sweetest words ever to human kind – the real emancipation from slavery of the world of sin:
“Dismissed are thy sins” – (sin being the real cause of human suffering).
These words should attract the attention of every human soul. To many, these words did not make sense even as they do not make sense to many today.
V7 Who on earth can forgive sin and instantly heal such a prostrate body except God? And here Jesus also demonstrates that all suffering is directly a result of sin (human enslavement).
Here then is the definition of God’s authority – divine power over and above any human abilities, laws, decrees, or any powerful leader on earth.
He removes all incapacitations, sin and death, which face every man and woman and this authority can be proved in only one way: – as Jesus demonstrated here:
“Arise and take up thy pallet and be walking”.
Momentarily, the man rose up, picked up his couch and walked away. No man saw the mass of sin vanish from the man’s soul but they all saw the second act and heard the order to walk away. Who else on earth has ever done such a thing so that he may be made our king and Lord? Here is the divine Gospel to transform and emancipate from slavery.
An act that is infinitely greater than any other acts that are possible to men, and no law can work such a miracle – yet man trusts in systems of law and education to change life and behavior for the better. Here Jesus reveals human ignorance and enslavement.
Daniel 713, 14 describes Jesus as the Son of man who rules all people and nations in an everlasting kingdom and judges the world. Yes, man has built cities, travels by air and leaves a modern life: – very good for our small, limited time on earth, but still the search for a life with joy and satisfaction is still a mystery to many.
Man should know that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves – “The son of man has authority over your life, and he alone gives life and takes it away. Here is the Gospel truth to embrace so that we may receive God’s mercy – (life eternal).
2. Law rejects mercy Vs 13-17
The damage laws have done to the world is beyond measure. In fact, the majority of mankind have come to believe that without law, there would be lawlessness – so more and more laws are enacted to re-enforce compliance and good behavior; what a pity!
The Scripture is explicit in its description of what law is – law reveals sin and enslavement. Where there is no law – there is no transgression, no sin or enslavement. The work of the law is the revelation of sin, transgressions etc. many would say that this is trash.
The ravages of law and human leadership are visible in every society: –
– Our world is divided up into territorial boundaries, due to the dysfunctional work of the law and human governance.
– Within each society or country, there are social divisions between the rich and the poor, stress, greed, lies etc. Even families, newly married couples under vows, split and divorce are rampant. Even within self-proclaimed churches of God, chaos is visible. The reason for the chaos in the world is the fact that man chose to be led by fellow man – who applies law to secure obedience and peace instead of the Gospel.
The elders of Israel asked for a king, the Lord said: “It is not you they have rejected but they have rejected me as their king – 1Sam 86,7 “Give us a king to judge us” – the people of Israel asked. This sadly only revealed sin (the rebellion against the God of Israel). This was the beginning of man’s rejection of God’s mercy to this day, instead preferring human leaders, who apply law which is sadly impotent as regards revealing God’s mercy.
The alternative to law is the Gospel call to all sinners, to come to the Savior to receive the baptism of the spirit – which constantly washes away our sin and makes us disciples of all nations – with only the one law of God’s love – mercy. “Love thy neighbor as yourselves” – which can only be done through God’s gift of the Spirit – the New Life in Christ.
To Levi (a tax collector) Jesus said in V14 “Follow me”.
The following day, Levi (Matthew) collected his fellow tax collectors, men and women of bad repute, prostitutes etc., and together, they feasted with Jesus.
In the case of the rich Zacchaeus – the chief among tax collectors – Jesus said to him, “This day salvation (mercy) has come to your house” – salvation; true emancipation is the feast from slavery. “For the son of man has come to seek and save that which is lost”, Luke 1910 not through the law but through God’s gift of the Spirit (repentance).
Sinners feasting with the son of God was unthinkable, an outrageous practice among the educated people of the law – the upper Jewish class.
This is what God’s mercy does to sinners who become God’s children (disciples) and He heals all wounds, removes all division, unites all into one spiritual body of Christ.
Jesus is the great physician – who heals all who accept him as the Savior.
To the rest of the world, – the strong, the healthy, self-sufficient, the rich, the educated and non-educated, all of them do not need God’s mercy. They have no need for a physician because they have not realized the purpose of the law, they are satisfied with the world.
All are called but few are chosen because they reject God’s mercy in his Gospel.
3. Law produces Lawlessness Vs 18-28
This Chapter gives the proper perspective or view of what really law does to our lives, and what we must understand about the law.
It is always taken for granted that we know what law is.
Moses’ Ten commandments may not be the oldest source but originates from God in contrast to all other human sources of law.
More important and relevant to humanity is that the entire ceremonial or rabbinical law, (Moses’ law included) as well as God’s source of law was to regulate the Jewish worship leading to the reception of the Savior, the promised Messiah.
This whole Old Testament law was God’s plan of salvation from enslavement by fellow men for the whole world and hence referred to as the divine law.
This great plan of salvation was fulfilled in the incarnation of the God man.
Jesus stands at the top of all these laws and institutions which the Jewish worship had instituted. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the end of the law; in fact, the end of the whole Old Testament.
So, the world has received the gift of the Spirit, the Word (the New Testament) – which is the salvation of the world – the Gospel – the spiritual life to all who believe.
This Spiritual life brought about the end of all other forms of worship, all the Jewish legal theocracy and its leadership.
Law in its entirety was decommissioned. Its purpose ended together with the Jewish theocracy. Why?
Because it demands outward performance of the law which is deceitful and abused by people all the time. The great example – all the Jewish theocracy could not recognize the Messiah when he came even when they had Moses’ and the rabbinical laws.
The law naturally produces lawyers, auditors, kings, rulers, judges etc. who apply outwardly laws, to redress the wrongs, condemn the guilty ones etc., but when the Son of God arrived – the auditors of the Jewish law rejected him.
The whole intention of the law failed.
So in V18 we see an audit carried out by the Pharisees – to the actions of our Lord Christ – unbelievable!
They said unto Him: “Why are thy disciples not fasting?” – ie., why are they breaking the laws of fasting?
Jesus gave them a lengthy reply; and a perfect one too. Still, this could only be understood by his disciples.
Law completely blinds human conscience which prevents understanding.
Here Jesus, the God of Israel, the one who gave the law to Moses to enable the Jewish people receive the promised Messiah, including ourselves – stands with his gift of salvation – spiritual life – a new kingdom – but it is rejected.
This ignorance of the purpose of the law has continued to this day.
What Jesus brought cannot be treated like a mere patch, to be fastened to a worn-out garment, or like new wine poured into old, dried wine skins.
Neither the worn-out garment (the law) nor the old, dried wine skin (the righteousness from law) can be preserved.
To combine a little of the New Testament righteousness (Spiritual life) with the Old Testament requirements of fasting (law) is worse than useless to preserve either the Old or the New.
Fasting (law) combined with the glorious new doctrine of grace and faith “is the folly which ruins both with the results that are even worse.”
The Pharisees were horrified as auditors by Jesus’ disciples, yet only too happy to trump up charges of lawlessness against their God of the New Covenant. Jesus is to blame. This is the conduct of many today, questioning many students of the New Testament.
The original intention of God’s law was to bring about the worship of the promised Messiah, it did not help.
The Pharisees, Scribes, priests, all turned it around to serve their personal interests – this has not changed to this day, and Jesus points it out at the very beginning of his ministry:
- David, whom the Pharisees esteemed so highly ate the bread which the law reserved only for the priests – this was unlawful.
- God’s purpose and promise to all is the right spiritual condition of the heart not the outward observance of the regulations.
- Matthew reports that the priests constantly violated the ceremonial law of the Sabbath (Matthew 125).
- Further still, all Sabbath worship and observation is useless when man’s heart is empty ie., devoid of God’s love.
Here is the great principle – “It is the spiritual condition of the heart that God desires in human hearts more than anything else such as law”.
David, an outstanding king whom the pharisees esteemed so highly ate the bread which was forbidden by God’s divine law.
This speaks volumes yet David loved God with all his heart – he had a spiritual life, – Read the Psalms and see.
The Son of man, Christ was and is the gracious gift above all the legal requirements of the Old Testament. In fact, the end of all the law.
In the place of the Old Testament Temple worship, the New Testament writers, St. Paul in particular, is concerned with the gift of the Spirit – repentance, faith, God’s love, unity of believers – knowing the same spiritual things.
Author: Apollo Kikule, [email protected], Blog: ancienttruth.net
