January 30
Mark 2: The Fear of Man . . . Faced and Flattened
Genesis 31; Mark 2; Esther 7; Romans 2
In Mark 2 we come to the first of many of Mark’s “sandwiches.” This is the term scholars have given to the structure Mark often gives to his narrative. He will put a person in the middle of two situations, like a sandwich, and the two situations have some bearing on how that person in the middle of the sandwich must respond to their situation, fears or sins.
In chapter 2 the person is Levi the tax collector, otherwise known as Matthew (of the first gospel). At this time the land was owned by Rome, and they received their taxes through local, Jewish tax collectors who would extort higher taxes from the people and then keep the extra for themselves. They were pariahs, turncoats, treasonous leeches. Levi was hated, and in his fear of man he would have sought refuge in the authority that even ill-gotten wealth provides.
But then Jesus comes along and calls Levi to follow him instead (14). How would he resolve his fear of man, if not through wealth? The stories on either side of this moment give him instruction.
The story before Levi recounts the dramatic moment when friends of a paralytic lower him down to Jesus by cutting a hole in the roof. And Jesus responds not by healing him but by pronouncing that his sins are forgiven - to which the authorities are aghast. Who can forgive sins except God? (7) Yes, exactly. So Jesus, to prove the point, heals the man.
Then on the other side of Levi’s calling, Jesus encounters much criticism about his eating and drinking, and that of his followers. Jesus eats with tax collectors, prostitutes and other miscreants (13-16). Moreover, unlike John the Baptist’s disciples, Jesus’ disciples do not fast (which was one of the three big religious habits of the Jews). Instead they ate and drank and had a good time (18). These two habits would comprise the main criticism of Jesus (see Luke 7:34.)
So now here is a moment where the fear of man would have come on strong for Levi. His wealth would have gotten him respect, but he must leave that. Now he will look even more disreputable to those who sat at the cool kids’ table of the day.
But Jesus makes clear that he and his words are more authoritative. The Son of Man came like a doctor to heal the sick, not those who think they have no sin (17). And while he’s here, should his people not celebrate? After all, the kingdom of God has come (19-22)! We overcome being controlled by the fear of man by letting Jesus and his words be the most authoritative.