Mark 2:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

NIV: He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

NASB: And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'

CSB: Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

NLT: And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, 'We’ve never seen anything like this before!'

KJV: And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

NKJV: Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus' miracles, as with all of God's supernatural interventions, are each for a specific purpose. Some are to validate His message as having come from God. Some are to challenge the authority of the manmade laws the scribes had placed on the Jews. In John 5:1–17, Jesus heals a paralyzed man on the Sabbath and orders him to get up, take his mat, and walk. The incident in John 5 is a challenge to the dozens of laws the scribes have added regarding what Jews can and cannot do on the Sabbath. In this occasion in Mark 2, however, Jesus uses a miracle to validate His authority to forgive sins.

A hardened skeptic might argue that demons could leave a person when their work is done (Mark 1:23–26). They might claim that some skin conditions, even leprosy, could self-heal (Mark 1:40–42). Skeptics might dismiss a fever which breaks (Mark 1:30–31). If someone is particularly astute, they may be able to make a close guess of what someone else is thinking, leaving the skeptic room to doubt Jesus' omniscience (Mark 2:8). But even today, it is rare to watch someone so lame they must be carried suddenly stand up, pick up his cot, and walk out of the room. In other words, this is a miracle not easily—or even possibly—dismissed out-of-hand. The crowd understands this. Their worldview is shaken, and they rightfully praise God for it, "glorifying" God in their response (Luke 7:16). But still, the scribes and Pharisees aren't convinced.

This is a comfort here for those of us who try to be a witness for Christ but come up against faces as set as stone walls. If a person's heart is hardened and their perspective is prideful and rigid, there is nothing we can do or say that will move them. Jesus performs an amazing miracle right in front of the Jewish scholars who should recognize Him as Messiah, but they are unmoved. Instead, they continue to call Him a blasphemer (Mark 2:7), criticize His ministry (Mark 2:16, 18, 24), and seek to destroy Him (Mark 3:5–6), starting the long road to the crucifixion. Like Jesus, our job is to do the will of our Father (Matthew 12:50) and leave the results to Him (Mark 6:11).

Mark 2:1–12 records the first of five stories from the gospel of Mark which establish Jesus' claims to various spheres of authority. Jesus returns to Capernaum from His tour of Galilee, and the crowds regather. Here, Jesus declares that He has the power to forgive sins. A paralyzed man is brought into the crowded room through the roof. In response to the man's faith, Jesus declares his sins to be forgiven. When challenged by the scribes, Jesus proves His authority to forgive sins by healing the man. This event is also recorded in Matthew 9:2–8 and Luke 5:17–26.

Mark chapter 2 follows the typical style of Mark's gospel with a rapid succession of stories. Jesus heals a man who cannot walk, but only after declaring the man's sins to have been forgiven. Jesus then calls Levi, one of the publically-reviled tax collectors, as a disciple and is seen eating with those the Pharisees view as ''sinners.'' Jesus then answers a challenge about fasting and defends His disciples when they violate the Pharisees' views on keeping the Sabbath. All of these events are met with some resistance from Jesus' critics. He responds in each case with a spiritual, reasonable defense.

In Mark chapter 1, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist then led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where He was tempted by Satan. He also taught and healed in Capernaum and throughout Galilee. In chapter 2, having returned to Capernaum, Jesus displays authority over four particular areas: the forgiveness of sins, social traditions, extra-biblical religious traditions, and the Sabbath. In response, the Pharisees—legalistic religious leaders—escalate their antagonism toward Him, culminating in a direct condemnation of His teachings. This sets the scene for Mark 3:6 when the religious and national leadership first get the idea to destroy Jesus.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.