Saint Mark, a convert of Saint Peter, is just beginning to capture Saint Peter’s preaching in his gospel. This is all really good food for thought!
And again he entered the synagogue. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil? To save a life or destroy it?” And being grieved at the blindness of their hearts. “Stretch forth thy hand” And he stretched it forth, and his hand was restored. But the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might do away with him.
Is it a sin to do a miracle on the Sabbath?
Which I think is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday for Jewish folks and Sunday for us Catholics or maybe Saturday evening or even now late afternoon for vigil masses? Seems all a bit confusing, aren’t we all just Christians?
Some of the Old Laws of the Old Testament didn’t make sense to Jesus. In fact, he was a law breaker, a bit of a rebel but a rebel with a heart.
I connected with Jesus grieving because of the “blindness of the heart” of the Pharisees.
The times in my past which I am most sad and regrettable about are those times when my heart was blinded, overcome by fear, resentments, untruths and my big selfish silly ego. I don’t want to be dead inside. I want to connect with other people in a real, meaningful, heartfelt way. I want to come completely out of denial, justification and rationalization. I want to be the true me, my Splendid Spiritual Self!
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
And as Jesus was passing along, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting in the tax-collector’s place, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.
“It is not the healthy who need a physician, but they who are sick. For I have not come to call the just, but sinners.”
Aren’t we all sinners? Isn’t Levi’s real name Matthew the Disciple and Apostle who wrote the first gospel of the New Testament of The Bible?
Probably not, my bad as Mark goes on to say that Jesus called The Twelve—Peter, brothers James and John—the son of Zebedee, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas.
Back in Matthew (C4:18), he stated that Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew… think there were two sets of brothers among the Twelve Disciples.
As I am meandering a bit today I will meander a bit more through these two chapters of Mark:
“How can Satan cast out Satan?”
“And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
“But whosoever blasphemes against The Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but will be guilty of an everlasting sin.”
“Who are my mother and my brethren? Behold my mother and my brethren. For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
We can’t stand alone in this world, without God or a spouse or family or friends or other believers who do the will of God. Evil can’t get rid of evil. One addiction cannot be substituted for another addiction. Only God The Father, Jesus His Son and The Holy Spirit can do that!
Old Laws or our new heart?
What is the Destiny of Our Lives!
Day 34: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Old Laws or New Heart? The Destiny of Our Lives!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Mark Chapters 2-3.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
Saint Mark, a convert of Saint Peter, was the son of a certain Mary, whose house in Jerusalem was a gathering place for Christians.
His Gospel, based on Saint Peter’s preaching, aims to prove to the Gentiles the divinity of Christ, be recounting His numerous miracles and examples of His power over devils.
Matthew Chapter 2: Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic; He cures the paralytic; The call of Levi; The question of fasting; The disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath.
He again entered Capharuaum and it was reported that he was at home.
And he spoke the word to them.
Paralytic—a person affected with paralysis; a loss or impairment of voluntary movement in a body part, caused by injury or disease of the nerves, brain, or spinal cord.
They stripped off the roof where he was, and having made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.
And Jesus , seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Why does this man speak thus? He blasphemes. Who can forgive sins, but only God?
Why are you arguing these things in your hearts?
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.”
“I say to thee, arise, take up thy pallet, and go to thy house.”
Never did we see the like!
And as he was passing along, he saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting in the tax-collector’s place, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he arose and followed him.
“It is not the healthy who need a physician, but they who are sick. For I have not come to call the just, but sinners.”
“As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.”
Behold, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
Matthew Chapter 3: A man with a withered hand; The mercy of Jesus; The choice of the Twelve; Blasphemy of the Scribes; Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; Jesus and His brethren.
And again he entered the synagogue
“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil? To save a life or destroy it?”
And being grieved at the blindness of their hearts
“Stretch forth thy hand” And he stretched it forth, and his hand was restored.
But the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might do away with him.
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea…
A large crowd, hearing what he was doing, came to him…
And he appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them forth to preach. To them he gave power to cure sickness and to cast out devils.
There were Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter, and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (these he surnamed Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Phillip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed him.
The Twelve—Peter, brothers James and John—the son of Zebedee, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas.
Matthew C4:18 stated that Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew…
He has gone mad.
He has Beelzebub.
Beelzebub—is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by Abrahamic religions as a given name to a supposed winged demon. The name Beelzebub is sometimes associated with the Canaanite god Baal.
In theological sources, predominately Christian, Beelzebub is another name for the devil similar to Satan. He is known by believers as one of the seven princes of Hell, according to Catholic views in terms of demonology. The Dictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebub as a demonic fly, known as the “Lord of the Flies”.
“How can Satan cast out Satan?”
“And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
“But whosoever blasphemes against The Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but will be guilty of an everlasting sin.”
“Who are my mother and my brethren? Behold my mother and my brethren. For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
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