Bible guides – Mark 2:13-3:6 - 12 May 2009 |
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Jesus has already gained a large following among ordinary people. However, his teaching also brings him into strong conflict with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel, as this passage shows.
- Why did the Pharisees object to Jesus associating with Levi and his friends (verses 13-16)?
- How does Jesus’ response in verse 17 challenge the Pharisees’ preconceptions?
- Why didn’t Jesus’ disciples fast (i.e. abstain from food), according to verse 19? What does this tell us about Jesus?
The Pharisees wrongly accused Jesus of breaking the Old Testament Law about the Sabbath Day by allowing his disciples to pick grains of corn (verse 24), and by healing a man’s hand (verse 5). In fact, he merely challenged their man-made religious traditions.
- Why, according to Jesus, did God make the Sabbath (verse 27)? How do verses 3-5 illustrate this principle?
- How did the religious leaders react to Jesus (verse 6)?
People seem to react very strongly to Jesus – either very positively or very negatively. Why do you think this is so?
Posted by Steve Jeffery · Topics: Bible, Bible guides, Bible guides - Mark, Minister's Blog