Re:Verse passage – Mark 2:1-12 (day four)
Not everyone who comes to church is there because they want a relationship with Jesus Christ. Here in our passage…even though there were honest seekers of Jesus wanting to get in…there were seats up close that were occupied by scribes who wanted to discredit Jesus. Their hearts were cold to Jesus and they wanted to find reasons to reclaim their authority over the people.
The people had recognized that Jesus “taught as one having authority and not as the scribes…” (1:22). Now, Jesus’ authority was exemplified by His forgiveness of the man’s sins and the healing of his paralyzed body. Also, His authority was demonstrated when He told the man to go home. Suddenly, the crowd that had been too dense for the man to approach Jesus before, found room to create a pathway for his exit at Jesus’ command.
There are many motivations for people to go to church. What motivates you? We cannot answer for others, but we are responsible for our own responses. Are we seeking Jesus for a relationship with Him?
