Digital Logos Edition
This volume provides section-by-section commentary on Mark. Written for the general church audience, it is simple, devotional, contemporary, and personal.
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“The word for diseases here is peculiar because it is normally translated ‘scourge.’ It was believed by some that illnesses were scourges from God.” (Page 39)
“The Pharisees expected the Messiah to come for the ‘right’ ones and to set up a kingdom for them, not to aid or help sinners.” (Page 33)
“Jesus is concerned about their lack of trust. These men have been with Him for some time; they have seen Him heal and perform other miracles; so where is their trust? By this time, they should have some trust in His power. Perhaps their trust is only in Jesus when He is awake. How should trusting men have acted in this situation? Was the choice they had between cowardice and trust?” (Page 52)
“Jewish tax collectors were considered traitors by the Pharisees. The fact that Jesus called a Jewish tax collector to be a close follower thus tainted Jesus and the rest of His followers in the Pharisees’ eyes. Most Jews would consider all of them suspect, and probably outcasts through association. This paragraph sets the stage for the various controversies that follow.” (Page 32)
“Levi’s friends, of course, were probably fellow tax collectors and others who were commonly called ‘sinners.’ These ‘sinners’ were the ‘Am har aretz’ in Aramaic, or the ‘people of the land.’ These people were the majority of the Jews who did not follow the Pharisaic interpretations of the law, especially ceremonial cleaning (Mark 7:1f).” (Page 33)