So Jesus got on ship and went back home, to Nazareth I assume. And they bring him to another man with the palsy who is lying in bed. Jesus tells the dude, cheer up I’ll forgive your sins. Wow that totally scandalized the scribes, who thought blasphemy!
So Jesus reads their minds, and asks them “Is it easier for me to forgive your sins or say arise and walk? You know the Son of man can forgive your sins, get up and go home dude!” And the guy gets up and goes home.
Okay I’m confused as to which is easier, because I can say all sorts of things, but it doesn’t make it true or heal the sick. I mean I don’t mean to be all doubting Thomas, but how did anyone know really know the sins were healed? The healings I can’t argue with. But he didn’t ask if it would be easier to heal him he asked if it would be easier to say Arise and walk” anyway… moving on.
So when everyone saw the guy get up and go home they were so impressed. It was amazing that God had given a men this power.
Jesus passed a guy named Matthew, and told him to follow him, so Matthew did.
Okay so hold on a sec. Matthew, the disciple has just been picked up, so who did he interview, to get the story so far. I mean Matthew is the guy writing this right? Unless he’s noting another Matthew who just joined the JC posse.
Anyway Jesus “sat at meat” in the house, no clue what that is, maybe he was offering meat to his guests, and the publicans (tax collectors/roman contractors) and sinners flocked to him. This annoyed the Pharisees, who asked what are doing eating with these people?
Jesus told them, they may not be physically sick, but they aren’t well, so learn what that means. I’m not calling the righteous here, but the sinners, so they can repent.
Then some of John’s disciples asked “How come the Pharisees, and us are fasting all the time but your disciples don’t fast. “ Jesus asks them if the children of the bridechamber mourn, when the bridegroom is with them? But someday the bridegroom will be gone and they shall fast. I don’t know what happens in the bridechamber, but I’m guessing it would ridiculous to think they mourn. So they must have partied in the bridechamber when the groom was there.
We skip to some general instruction for life here. Don’t patch old clothes with new cloth, because the new fabric will take away from the old fabric and the tear will be even uglier. I’m not sure that this practical advice or fashion driven. Mark mentions it too according to Beth.
Don’t put new wine in old bottles, because the old bottle might break and the wine will spill everywhere! Put wine in new bottles and you can have both bottles and wine.
As JC gave this advice a certain ruler came to worship him and tell him “My daughter is dead but if you touch her she’ll love again” Let it never be said JC wasn’t up for a challenge. He got up with his disciples to investigate.
On the way a woman who had a blood disease for the past twelve yeas touched the hem of JC’s outfit, thinking If I can touch his clothes, I’ll be healed. Well JC noticed someone tugging his hem so he told her “Daughter it’s all good you are whole” and within the hour she was!
Jesus enters the house, and there is music and people making noise, kind of like a party, so Jc tells them to leave because the maid isn’t dead, she’s only sleeping. Well that get a laugh, because they are pretty darn sure she’s dead. JC steps in and takes the maid by the hand, and she is awake. Awake from being dead! He can raise the dead! That is amazing! And a little freaky. But the people were quick to spread that news throughout the land.
As Jesus was leaving, two blind men cried out “Have mercy on us son of David!” Jesus plays this a bit coy asking them do you think I can do this? And they all yes Lord! So he touches their eyes and says it’s up to your faith. But their faith was good, I mean they had just heard this guy raised the dead, is there nothing he can’t do. Now that they can see JC tells them not to tell people, I guess he’s getting sick of all the people. But they go and tell everyone in their country what happened.
So Jesus walks a little further and there is a dumb man who is possessed by a devil, so JC cast out the devil and the dude could finally speak and all of Israel was duly impressed. Well most of Israel was impressed, the Pharisees were not impressed. They though JC was in league with the prince of the devils!
And Jesus went around the land teaching in synagogues and preaching and healing every the sick folk. But when he saw everyone, he felt great compassion because they kept fainting, and they were scattered all over the place like a lost flock of sheep.
He told his disciples, the harvest is plenty, the laborers are few, we better pray to the Lord of the harvest that we get more laborers.
Wow! Matthew jambed a lot of things together that Mark had as separate events. These must have been some stories that were being passed along after old JC kicked the bucket. I'm really curious why we have to read essentially the same story four times though? And also how these four in particular got selected to make the cut... when was that, back in the 11th Century or something? Interesting and confusing.
ReplyDelete