Mark 2:13-22
Introduction
In this passage we see Jesus doing something that was shocking to some. We also see the growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day. Bear this in mind as we make our way through it.
Verses 13 to 17
In these verses we see Jesus calling His fifth disciple, Levi. Levi is also known as Matthew and he’s a tax collector. To appreciate the significance of this, we need to understand what it meant to be a tax collector at that time.
The Jews were subjected to a very heavy burden of taxation by the Romans. The Romans employed local people to collect their taxes for them. Levi was one of these local tax collectors. The tax collector would have a quota for the amount of taxes that he had to collect. Anything he managed to collect above the quota he would keep for himself. These tax collectors became exceedingly rich. The tax system that they were part of was very corrupt and greedy.
Any Jew who did this job was treated as an outcast in Jewish society. They were seen by other Jews as traitors. Anyone who was a friend of a tax collector was seen as unclean. Jewish tax collectors sacrificed their acceptance in Jewish society in order to become rich.
I’m telling you all this so that you can see why the scribes reacted the way they did when Jesus called Levi to follow Him.
After Jesus called Levi to follow Him, He dined with many tax collectors and sinners at Levi’s house. It wasn’t just tax collectors that Jesus dined with, however. He also dined with sinners. In those days sinners were lax Jews. In other words, Jews who disregarded the Law.
So, not only did Jesus befriend Levi (a tax collector), but He went further and dined with many more of them along with many sinners. He lit a fire and then poured petrol on it. I say that Jesus lit a fire and poured petrol on it because, to the scribes, what Jesus did was utterly scandalous.
The scribes saw it as scandalous because, to them, a devout Jew should never have anything to do with such people. The religious leaders of that time would never have anything to do with such people. They despised them. But Jesus was different.
So, what was Jesus’ answer when the scribes asked His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners”? See verse 17 for the answer. Jesus describes Himself as a physician who is there to heal the sick – the sickness is sin.
We can all learn from the example of Jesus in this event. What have you learnt?
Verses 18 to 20
After being questioned about why He was associating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus now finds Himself being asked why His disciples weren’t fasting. They asked this because the disciples of John and the Pharisees fasted frequently and they expected the disciples of Jesus to do the same. The Pharisees and their disciples fasted as an act of piety. It was a way of showing how holy they were.
So, how does Jesus answer their question? See verse 19 for the answer. Jesus describes Himself as a bridegroom. In the Old Testament the bridegroom was God and the bride was the nation of Israel. But now Jesus is saying that He, the Son of God, is the bridegroom. And who is the bride of Jesus? It’s the Church.
I recommend that you make a study of all the scriptures about Jesus as the bridegroom and the Church as His bride. It’s very important. Bear in mind that some aspects of this marriage have not been fulfilled yet.
And you might wonder what is Jesus talking about in verse 20. Well, He is talking about His death on the cross.
Verses 21 to 22
In these verses, Jesus uses two metaphors to get across an important message. In the two metaphors Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they needed to get rid of their traditions and ways of thinking in order to accommodate Jesus. Jesus was doing something new and the old ways would have to go. He was condemning the traditions of the Pharisees.
So, what does this message mean for us today? If we have any traditions or beliefs that get in the way of what Jesus wants us to do and understand then we need to get rid of them. If our church traditions do not conform to what the Bible has to say, we have to ditch them.
And on a personal level, when we are born again, we need to put to death the old man and become a new creation. The old man will get in the way.