40 - Bible Commentary | Karuna Sadan

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. (Mark 2:3)

This is a picture of intercession. Bringing people to Jesus through prayer

This is a picture of partnership. Bringing people to Jesus through our giving, serving, etc

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:5)

It does not say that Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic but he saw the faith of the four men. Faith is seen when it manifests itself through actions.

“Yes, a man will say, you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith apart from your works, and I, by my works, will show you my faith” (James 2:18).

The LORD sees your faith. Because of your faith, many will be blessed. Your family will be blessed. The people attending the Karuna Sadan services will be blessed.

Faith is confidence in God through Jesus Christ (Mark 2:5 Amplified)

“Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:5)

Jesus was demonstrating a powerful truth that there is a connection between the physical and emotional parts of our lives. In fact, doctors today have confirmed the strong link between forgiveness and health.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103;1-3)

Forgiveness of our sins and healing is connected as seen in the above verses

“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7)

This Pharisees were right in saying that no man could forgive sins. No prophet before Jesus or after Jesus spoke or claimed to forgive sins - only Jesus spoke in this manner.

Jesus clearly claimed that He had the power to forgive sins just like His Heavenly Father did. This clearly proves that Jesus was God in the flesh.

Fasting

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Centuries ago, wine was stored in leather wineskins rather than bottles. When the wineskins were new, they were soft and pliable, but as they aged, they became hardened and couldn’t expand. If new wine was poured in an old wineskin, the container would burst and the wine would be lost.

Fasting renews the wineskins and then the Lord can pour the new wine. Fasting is one of the ways by which we discipline ourselves. It is a way by which we put to death our old selves that it may be raised with Christ. In fasting, we throw away our old wineskin so God can give us the new. And so we can be filled with the new wine: the Holy Spirit!

In the fast, we discipline our bodies and our hearts and our minds. All of us must be made new by Christ, just as the very heavens and earth will be made new in him. So we fast—not just to discipline our bodies, but to discipline the whole of us.

Chapter 2