Mark 2:18-22

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and  a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wine skins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins – and the wine is destroyed , and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wine skins.”

There are times for fasting, as when Yeshu would be killed later on.

However Yeshu’s time on earth was like a wedding feast. and his disciples enjoyed eating with him because of the new life that he gave them. For this reason for them to live in mtshams was no longer  suitable.

Today also, when men have left behind the old life so as to become Yeshu’s disciples,  they will know the new joy –  like wine as it were – of his presence in their new lives.

Mark 2:13

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.

We know from one of the other gospel-writers that Yeshu had previously taught while sitting in Simon’s boat.

The crowd had been pressing close about him, but from a boat he could speak across the still water, and be clearly heard by everyone.

Today too any who believe and listen can hear his voice, not across water, but in their hearts.

Mark 2:14

And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Men who made themselves rich by collecting tax for the ruling powers were considered by the Jews to be bad men.

Had Levi heard Yeshu speaking words of hope by the lakeside on a previous occasion? Now Yeshu calls him to be a disciple.

Mark 2:15-17

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

Unlike the Pharisees who avoided men with much bad karma, Yeshu went to those who needed his help, like a doctor. He talked with them and made them happy.

No man who wants his sins to be cleared is too bad for Yeshu; he is their friend. He has compassion for all men, and gives them hope of obtaining boundless life.

Mark 2:1-12

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above  him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the paralytic – “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 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!”

The scribes were quite right in thinking that only God can forgive sins.

See Yeshu’s words, and then his healing power. Who must Yeshu be?