WORD OF LIFE BIBLE STUDY GUIDE  

  The Bible in Your life and Your Life in the Bible  




  THE GOSPEL OF MARK  



"They were all amazed and glorified God " (Mark 2:12)





  MARK 2:1-12 TEXT  




1 When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— 11 ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ 12 And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’







  MARK 2:1-12 QUESTIONS  



Please note.
By reading the meditation associated with this text you will find many answers to the questions. However, the most important thing to do is to remain on the text, meditate on it until you can formulate your own answers. When interacting with the text we are interacting with the ultimate author of the text, the Holy Spirit.

If you wish to discuss these questions and interact with others then please join our online Bible group. If you wish to discuss these on a one-to-one basis then please contact us.



  Mark 2:1-12 The Healing of the Paralytic   






      vv. 1, 2 Setting the scene  

  1. Where did Jesus start his ministry (his work of proclaiming the Good News)? Where is Jesus now? See on the map the distance covered by Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Places mentioned up to now include Judea (Mark 1:5), the river Jordan (Mark 1:5, 9), Galilee (Mark 1:9, 14, 28, 39), the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16), Capernaum (Mark 1:21; 2:1). 1

  2. How long had Jesus been away from Capernaum?

  3. Why do you think that news got around quickly that Jesus was back? Does what you have already read in Mark chapter 1 shed any light on this?

  4. Why do you think many people came as soon as they heard he was back? What do you think was uppermost in their minds?

  5. Where did this scene take place? Was there any chance of late-comers entering to see Jesus? Why?

  6. What was the first thing Jesus did? Was it to heal? Does this teach us anything?




    7.   vv. 3-5 The dramatic action of the small group of five  

  7. How many different groups of people are present here in this whole episode? Which group do you think has the right approach to Jesus, the most appropriate inner disposition?

  8. Which group of people could not gain access to Jesus? How many were there in the group?

  9. How would you describe the inner disposition of this group?

  10. What is it that unites this group?

  11. Does the disposition and unity of this group teach us something? As individuals and as a community? Does it tell us anything about what is involved in evangelisation?

  12. Why do you think this group wanted to get close to Jesus?

  13. What was the physical condition of the man brought before Jesus? Do you think this could have symbolic value?

  14. What prevented them from approaching Jesus? Were they discouraged by this?

  15. What do they do to get to Jesus?

  16. Does this group have something to teach us on how to approach Jesus?

  17. Where exactly was the hole in the roof made? How would the noise and lowering of the bed have influenced the teaching of Jesus and the interested of the crowd?

  18. Imagine what would have been your reaction on listening to Jesus preaching and hearing the noise of the hole being made and seeing the bed of the paralytic right there where Jesus stood. Describe the scene in as much detail as possible. Can you see why Mark’s Gospel is sometimes seen as the Gospel of action?

  19. Why was Jesus favourably impressed by this group?

  20. What do the words mean “when Jesus saw their faith”? Can faith be ‘seen’?

  21. Do you think the verse James 2:18 might shed some light on these words?

  22. Whose faith did Jesus ‘see’ and what can we learn from this?

  23. Why do you think Jesus forgave the man’s sins?

  24. How does Jesus address the paralytic? What specific word shows his affection and compassion?



    25.   vv. 6-9 The theological dispute with the Scribes  

  25. Could the people present hear the objections of the Scribes?

  26. How could Jesus know what they were thinking?

  27. Why were these Scribes shocked by the words of Jesus?

  28. How was forgiveness of sins obtained before Jesus?

  29. How do the Scribes react to the words of Jesus?

  30. What does this tell us about their state of mind and the probable reasons why they were there?

  31. Were the Scribes right? Was it blasphemy for a man to forgive sins?

  32. Compare and contrast the approach to Jesus of the paralytic and friends and the Scribes. Do the two different approaches have anything to teach us?

  33. Jesus addresses the two groups, that of the paralytic and that of the Scribes very differently. Why is this?



    34.   vv. 10, 11 The miracle  

  34. Do you think the paralytic had come to have his sins forgiven? Was this his expectation?

  35. Do you think there might have been some sort of disappointment on the part of this small group? Would you have been disappointed?

  36. Do you think it is easier to say “your sins are forgiven” or to heal physically? What would you have preferred, physical or spiritual healing? Why?

  37. What did Jesus want to demonstrate here by saying “Your sins are forgiven”?

  38. What was the physical healing meant to demonstrate?

  39. If the actions of the paralytic and his friends show their faith what do the words and actions of Jesus show?



    40.   The crowd  

  40. Two of the groups have had their moment; now attention is focused on the third group, the crowd. What is said of the crowd here?

  41. How do the twogroups, that of the paralytic and that of the Scribes, differ from the crowd?

  42. Did the crowd go home satisfied? Does this tell us why they might have been here in the first place?

  43. Do you think the crowd made any progress in their understanding of the identity of Jesus?



    44.   The dramatic nature of this episode   

  44. Do you think this episode is dramatically effective? Why?



    45.    This episode and us  

  45. Which of the three groups shows how we should relate to Jesus?

  46. Do you think these different groups may show us different stages involved in the journey from non-belief to belief?

  47. What kind of faith does the crowd have? What kind of faith does the paralytic have? What kind of faith do I have?

  48. If the actions of the paralytic and his friends show their faith what do my words and actions show? Can people see my faith through my words and through my actions?

  49. Do I combine words and actions or do I remain silent about my faith? Do I get the glory and compliments for the transforming power of God in my life or do I tell others to whom that glory should go by revealing what the driving force behind my words and actions is?



      General discussion questions  

  • How do we approach Jesus? Have we had a personal encounter?

  • Would we classify ourselves among the sceptics, the curious or the committed?

  • Like the friends of the paralytic have we ever brought someone to Christ?

  • In what way can our faith be 'seen'?

  • Have we ever experienced an inner paralysis?

  • Have we ever experienced the liberating power of forgiveness from God or from others?

  • Are we more preoccupied with our physical health than with our spiritual health?

  • Sin creates a distancing from the action of the Holy Spirit, the source of our life and our strength. Are we aware of the inner paralysis that sin causes in our lives?

  • Are we open to the healing power of forgiveness? Are we prepared to forgive as we have been forgiven?



      Application  

  • In this episode we see the power of intercessory prayer. Let us think of someone who is suffering from inner paralysis, who is distant from God and with the same persevering commitment pray for that person personally and in our communities and parishes.

  • Let us think of the persons and circumstances in our lives and see where we can make our faith 'seen' by our love and concern and 'heard' by communicating the divine source of this love and concern.






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NOTES

1 There are many maps on the Internet among which you may find interesting:
Knowing the Bible







Mark 2:1-12 Meditation






© R W
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