Mark 2:1  “…after some days…”
Some time had passed, but not specific on the amount.  Recalling what took place so the exact time isn’t important to the story.

1  “…He was in the house”
Probably Peter’s home.  Would have been a good place to work from when they were in the area.

4  “…they uncovered the roof where He was…”
Matthew and Luke mention this.  Matthew only says the sick man was brought to Jesus.  Luke says they let him down through the tiles as though that were a normal thing.  Only Mark says they uncovered the roof and broke through to lower the man down.  Since Mark got his info from Peter and it was Peter’s home, it’s not surprising that Peter gave a few more details about how his house was broken apart.

9  “Which is easier…”
We know Jesus knows the hearts of all men, but sometimes we wonder how the writers knew what Jesus was thinking.  I’m sure they discussed things later, but here we have Jesus saying what He was thinking.  Why do you reason about these things.  Asking which was easier threw me the first time I read it.  I was viewing it from Jesus’s perspective and knew He could do anything He wanted so it didn’t really make sense.  Finally realized He was saying it from their point of view.  From a human perspective, it would be easy to tell someone their sins are forgiven since no one can see the sins or the forgiveness.  How can anyone prove you wrong.  Like forecasting something to take place 500 years in the future.  Who’s going to be around to see if you were right.  But when you tell a paralyzed man to stand up, the evidence is right there.  He did the obvious to prove He could do what no one could see.

14  “…Levi the son of Alphaeus…”
Another name for Matthew.  Interesting that Matthew uses Matthew while Mark and Luke use Levi.  May have been the difference between familial and public usage.  Like Thomas and Tommy.  Or a first name and middle name.  Legal usage is usually first name while some families use middle name or nickname.

15  “…many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus…”
I doubt that Matthew just suddenly jumped up to follow Jesus without having heard Him speak or knowing something about Him beforehand.  Just speculation, but I suspect Matthew had been listening and had begun to change his ways before he was called.  Now that he’s following Jesus, he has Him in his home and invites his fellow tax collectors to hear Him.

16  “…He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners”
It was obvious the religious leaders of that day weren’t interested in anyone other than themselves, and certainly not interested in helping someone have a closer walk with God.  They saw it as beneath them to have any contact with those whom they considered sinners and thought anyone Godly should feel the same way.  We think pastors and other ministers’ primary reason for being is to bring others to Christ which is rather difficult if they never have any contact with those that need Him.

17  “…Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick…”
Play on words, but I doubt they caught the meaning.  All men are sin sick and need the healing of Jesus.  But only those who recognize they are sick will seek healing.  The scribes and Pharisees thought they were OK with God and couldn’t see their need for a savior.  The tax collectors recognized their condition and welcomed what Jesus offered.  Jesus came to save everyone as none are righteous, but you must admit you need Him to get to the point of asking Him for salvation.

19-20  “…Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them…then they will fast in those days”
Little confusing with the question of fasting and then His comparisons of new and old items.  Fasting was something to do to focus prayers and was a requirement at different times.  Biggest item for prayer and fasting was the expectation of the Messiah.  Since Jesus was the Messiah there was no reason for His disciples to be fasting as He was right there with them.  He gives a hint of His ascension by saying there would come a day when the bridegroom will be taken away.  Then the disciples would fast awaiting Christ’s return.  His comparisons show this.  Old reasons for fasting were for the revelation of the Messiah.  New reasons for fasting are for His return.  But it is new in that He didn’t leave us alone, but sent the Holy Spirit to be with us while we wait.  We now know exactly who is coming and are in communication with Him while we anticipate His arrival.

23  “…His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain”
Wasn’t just plucking the grain, it was plucking and then rubbing the chaff off so they could eat it.  Technically you could call that harvesting or working which they weren’t supposed to do on the Sabbath.

27-28  “…The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Two big things here.  First, man wasn’t created to be a slave to law.  The laws were created for man, to help and guide him in the decisions he makes.  Sabbath is a good example.  It wasn’t created to force man to do something or not do certain things, but was for his benefit, to provide rest and a time for reflection.  We have a big problem with this today to the point we’re more concerned with the technical and semantic points of laws instead of the benefits they were created to produce.  Second, all law comes from God.  It is whatever He says it is.  So if Jesus does something which doesn’t fit our interpretation, guess who’s wrong.  Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.  If it doesn’t make sense to us, we’ve missed the spirit of it.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.