Mark 2:6

2:1-12 It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.

Mark 2:6-12 . Thus far of the sick man, how he got to Jesus, and the sympathetic reception he met with. Now the scribes begin to play their part. They find their opportunity in the sympathetic word of Jesus: thy sins be forgiven thee; a word most suitable to the case, and which might have been spoken by any man.— τινες τ . γρ .: Lk. makes of this simple fact a great affair: an assembly of Pharisees and lawyers from all quarters—Galilee, Judaea, Jerusalem, hardly suitable to the initial stage of conflict.— ἐκεῖ καθήμενοι : sitting there. If the posture is to be pressed they must have been early on the spot, so as to get near to Jesus and hear and see Him distinctly.— ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις α .: they looked like men shocked and disapproving. The popularity of Jesus prevented free utterance of their thought. But any one could see they were displeased and why. It was that speech about forgiveness.

6 . certain of the scribes ] During our Lord’s absence from Capernaum it would seem there had arrived not only from Galilee, but even from Judæa and Jerusalem ( Luke 5:17 ), Pharisees and lawyers, who were insidiously watching all that He did. Emissaries from the hostile party at Jerusalem, where the Lord’s death had already been decreed ( John 5:18 ), they proceeded to carry out a settled plan of collecting charges against Him and thwarting His work of mercy.

Verses 6, 7. - The words, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? in accordance with the altered reading ( βλασφημεῖ for βλασφημίας ), should stand thus: Why doth this man thus speak ? he blasphemeth. It is evident that the scribes, who were secretly amongst themselves finding fault with our Lord's words, understood that, by the use of these words, our Lord was assuming to himself a Divine attribute. And if he had been a mere man; if he had not really been, as he assumed to be, Divine, the only begotten Son of the Father, - then no doubt they would have been right in supposing that he blasphemed. But their error was that they could not perceive in him the glory of the only begotten Son. The light was shining in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not. Mark 2:6

6. But there were certain of the scribes—"and the Pharisees" (Lu 5:21) sitting there—those Jewish ecclesiastics who, as Luke told us (Lu 5:17), "were come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem," to make their observations upon this wonderful Person, in anything but a teachable spirit, though as yet their venomous and murderous feeling had not showed itself. and reasoning in their hearts.

Their faith - Their confidence or belief that he could heal them. Son - Literally, "child." The Hebrews used the words "son" and "child" with a great latitude of signification. They were applied to children, to grandchildren, to adopted children, to any descendants, to disciples, followers, young people, and to dependents. See the notes at Matthew 1:1. In this place it denotes affection or kindness. It was a word of consolation - an endearing appellation, applied by the Saviour to the sick man to show his "compassion," to inspire confidence, and to assure him that he would heal him. We never saw it on this fashion - Literally, "We never saw it so." We never saw anything like this.