Forming Faith Blog

Authority over Everything (Mark 2)

Posted on December 27 2023 by Gregory Rawn

Jesus does something strange when a paralyzed man is presented to him: he forgives the man’s sins and only heals him to demonstrate his authority to speak on God’s behalf.

A hand holding a small globe. Jesus has authority over everything.
Welcome to Epiphany!

This reading in the Narrative Lectionary marks the first Sunday of the season of (or after) Epiphany, the festival of Epiphany itself happening on the previous day (January 6th). Congregations that do not have a special, non-Sunday Epiphany service will often move the celebration to this day, which is also Baptism of the Lord Sunday.

This is not the easiest reading to connect with either of these church festivals. If you shifted the reading of Mark 1:1-20 from the previous week to this one, then you at least have a few verses covering Jesus’ baptism. Otherwise, the best you can do (without pulling in the Magi as a secondary text) is to talk about Jesus revealing himself as one who acts with authority from God.

Authority to Teach

One of the important points in this reading is in Mark 2:10:

“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”

The word “authority” is introduced in the section of Mark 1 not covered this year in the NL.

[Jesus and his new disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 1:21-22

When Jesus teaches in the synagogue, he doesn’t prove his point with scriptural evidence and citing precedent, he just teaches. We don’t even know what he is teaching, since that is not what Mark thinks is important. It is that Jesus is teaching with authority that’s important.

Authority over Spiritual Forces

In that same synagogue, shortly after the people are amazed at Jesus’ authoritative teaching, a man with an unclean spirit questions Jesus (loudly), declaring him to be the Holy One of God. Jesus promptly orders the spirit to come out of the man, which it does. The people seem to gloss over the whole “Holy One” comment and focus on the spirit obeying Jesus’ command.

They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

Mark 1:28

Although the people still connect authority with teaching, they also clearly see Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits.

Authority to Forgive

We can now move to our assigned reading in Mark 2. After the audacious and dramatic actions that four people take to bring their friend to Jesus, he does something surprising. Instead of healing the man like everyone expects him to, Jesus declares that the man’s sins are forgiven. I honestly don’t know why he does this, other than to make a point that he can. And make a point he does. The Pharisees latch onto Jesus’ words and are aghast. Why do they think this is blasphemy you (and your faith formation participants) might ask?

Jesus is not just offering his own forgiveness for an offense that the man might have given Jesus. He is declaring the entire forgiveness of the man’s sins. That is something only God can do, so Jesus is speaking on behalf of God (and not crediting God as we might). Jesus rebukes them:

“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” [Jesus heals the man.]

Mark 2:10

I’m assuming that the connection Jesus is making between the definitively provable healing and the unprovable forgiving is that healing requires God’s authority, just as forgiving does.

Authority over Illness and Injury

As I mentioned, Jesus heals the man of his paralysis to prove that he has the authority to forgive sins (speak for God). That’s really strange to me, but this healing—along with every other healing recorded in the Gospel—goes to show that Jesus has authority over the disorders of the body, both illnesses and injuries.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus goes on to demonstrate that he has authority over the laws of nature (stilling the storm, walking on water, multiplying bread and fishes, etc.), the Sabbath/Torah (Mark 2:28), and eventually over death itself (Jairus’ daughter, himself).

Authority to Welcome

The second of the three stories in this reading is Jesus’ call of the tax collector Levi to be his disciples and his subsequent dinner with “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mark 2:15). Jesus shows by these actions that he, unlike the Pharisees, is not concerned about the “uncleanliness” of these outcast individuals on his ritual purity or reputation. Jesus has demonstrated his God-given authority—his ability to represent God—and so it’s not a huge leap to say that, when Jesus welcomes these “undesirables,” God welcomes them, too. So, to keep with the theme here, we can say that Jesus has the authority to welcome all people into God’s kingdom.

And Jesus, by his gift to us of the Holy Spirit, has given us the authority to welcome all people into God’s kingdom as well.

In all of God’s blessings,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Download a FREE Activity for 1/7/2024
Free Resource

During the main Narrative Lectionary year (this year: September 10 to May 19), we provide a free resource download from one of our products to help you in your faith formation ministry. This week, download the activity “Everyone Is Welcome” from our Living the Word: Kids (PK-2nd, NL) curriculum, though this simple activity can be adapted for with most ages!

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