The Real Deal: Jesus Has Authority to Forgive

In one paragraph

This was a Monday evening study from First B Jackson, working through the opening chapters of Mark. Pastor Felix led the group through two connected stories: Jesus healing a paralyzed man, and Jesus calling Matthew and then eating with tax collectors and sinners. The evening included song, short dramatizations from The Chosen, and open conversation with the room. Mark writes with unusual speed,...

Read together

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 quoted as a call to worship before singing: always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances, because this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus
2. Revelation 12:11 shared as encouragement that we overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony
3. Mark 2:1-12 read aloud as the account of Jesus healing the paralyzed man lowered through the roof
4. Mark 2:13-17 read aloud as the account of Jesus calling Levi and eating with tax collectors and sinners
5. Luke 9:62 mentioned by a congregation member in connection with Matthew's past not defining where he was heading, though the member said they could not quote it
6. John 9 cited by a congregation member as the passage where disciples ask Jesus who sinned to cause a man's blindness from birth
7. Hosea 6:6 quoted in the Chosen clip during the dinner party scene: I desire mercy more than sacrifice
8. Lamentations 3:21-23 read as a closing encouragement: the faithful love of the Lord never ends, his mercies never cease, great is his faithfulness, mercies begin afresh each morning

Talk about it

1. The friends of the paralyzed man were so convinced of Jesus' power that they tore through a roof to get their friend to him. What does that kind of faith and determination look like in your own relationships, and what gets in the way of it?
2. Pastor Jonathan pointed out that the people at Matthew's dinner party knew who Jesus was and had heard his message about repentance, yet they still came to him and felt comfortable around him. What do you think made Jesus that approachable, and what does that mean for how we relate to people around us?
3. One person in the group shared that simply living out her faith openly created space for people to ask questions or share where they were at spiritually, without her having to push an agenda. Have you seen something like that happen in your own life, and what did it look like?
4. Ray noted that the religious leaders faced a hard choice: either what Jesus said was blasphemy, or it was true, and the miracle was right in front of them. Why do you think some people who saw that miracle still refused to believe, and what does that challenge in your own faith?
5. Pastor Jonathan closed with the image of one beggar telling another beggar where bread can be found. How does thinking of yourself that way, rather than as someone who has it all together, change how you approach sharing your faith with others?