Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Mark”
Mark 3:13 It is always better to be chosen by God for a task than to appoint oneself to that task. Mark 3:14 The number twelve is symbolic and corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel. Twelve apostles and twelve tribes symbolize “all”. The word “apostle” means “sent” and is a title that also indicates mission. A disciple should not …
Mark 3:7 Jesus didn’t just want to heal the sick and teach in the synagogues. He also wanted to withdraw with his disciples and teach them even more deeply. A disciple of Jesus today also needs to withdraw from time to time to be alone with Jesus. Jesus had certainly made quite an impression on the people of Galilee and …
Mark 3:4 Jesus asks an ironic question. Jesus heals the sick on the Sabbath. The Pharisees plan to murder Jesus on the Sabbath. The Pharisees believed that Jesus could perform miracles, but they still didn’t want to believe in him. The question was not whether it was wrong for Jesus to heal the man, but whether he was allowed to …
Mark 2:23 When God had created the earth in six days, He rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:1-3). The Sabbath is the day that God wants man to keep holy and to rest from work (Exodus 20:8-11). Mark 2:24 Is it “work” to “pick axles”? It was permissible according to the Pentateuch to pick ears of grain in the fields …
Mark 2:18 According to the Pentateuch, the Jewish people were to fast once a year, on the “day of atonement” (Leviticus 23:27). The Jewish people also fasted on other occasions for various reasons. The Pharisees had instituted a number of extra days of fasting and boasted that they fasted two days a week (Luke 18:12). Fasting is usually associated with …
Mark 2:15 Not only did Levi immediately become a disciple of Jesus, but he also invited Jesus and the disciples to his home for dinner. Mealtime fellowship is central to both the Jewish and Christian communities. Eating together is a sign of belonging, acceptance and care. It’s also fun. Mark 2:16 The “Pharisees” were a “revival movement” among the Jewish …
Mark 2:14 Levi also goes by another, better known name: Matthew (Mt 9:9).a) This Levi is the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Levi was a Jewish “tax collector” who collected taxes from the Jewish people for the Roman authorities.a) If the customs officer collected more money than the tax demanded by the Romans, he could keep the money for …
Mark 2:2 Jesus had returned from his preaching tour in Galilee. After all the miracles Jesus had done, people were naturally very curious about him and wanted him to perform more miracles. But for Jesus it was important not only to do miracles but also to teach the people. Mark 2:5 The Torah says that if a person has sinned, …
Mark 1:40 “Leprosy” is a skin disease that can cause severe physical damage. The lepers were considered unclean and therefore one was not allowed to touch a leper (Leviticus 13-14). Since the man became clean and free from his disease the moment Jesus touched him, technically Jesus did not break this prohibition. Mark 1:44 The reason Jesus did not want …
Mark 1:32 This was on Saturday evening, a day later, when the Sabbath was over. Many Jews considered healing to be work, and since work was not allowed on the Shabbat, people waited until after the Shabbat to bring their sick. Since Jesus did not consider it forbidden to heal the sick on the Sabbath, this became a recurring conflict …