1) Why did Jesus heal the paralytic by saying, Son, your sins are forgiven?

Jesus implied that they did not believe the truth, but were rejecting the obvious. Moreover, many Jews in those days believed that all disease and affiliation was a direct result of ones sins. This paralytic may have believed that as well. Therefore he would have welcomed forgiveness of sins before healing.

1. What was a tax collector and why was Levi sitting at the tax collectors booth?

There were two types of tax collectors, both were hated by the Jews. The first type was the general tax collectors who collected property tax on land, income tax, and a poll tax for living in Rome. The second type known as the Mokhes was the way-side collectors, who were despised even more. They collect a wide variety of taxes, including import duties, business license fees, and toll fees. They could even invent taxes. The tax collectors got to keep any amount overcharged and were hated by everyone. Levi or Matthew was the second type, who was sitting at the tax booth, by the road, waiting for people to come by so that he could tax them, when Jesus came to call him.

1. Why did John and the Pharisees disciples fast? What was required by the law?

The followers of John the Baptist who did not pledge their allegiance to Jesus questioned Jesus disciple together with the Pharisees. At the time, most people practiced fasting twice a week, as influence by the Pharisees teaching. However, the Old Testament only called for fasting once, before the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29-31).

2. Why cant new cloth be sewed on an old garment and new wine be poured into old wineskin?

During the days of Jesus, clothes were made of cotton or wool. These materials tend to shrink when being washed. Old clothes that were washed many times have shrunk already. Therefore, it is not wise to mend an old garment with a new patch, which would shrink and tear away from the old garment.

The Jews stored wine in animal skins. The neck of the animal would be used as the spout and the rest of the skin would be sewed shut. When the skins get old, they became hard and brittle. If new wine is poured into an old skin, further fermentation tends to produce carbon dioxide that can crack the skin because it is not stretchable, like a new skin.

These two parables state that Jesus teaching (new) cannot fit into the (old) self-righteous and ritual system of the Pharisees. Jesus call for repentance of sins and an internal holiness is the new teaching that can destroy the old system of legalism.

1. Was it illegal to pick grains from the grain field?

Travelers who did not bring enough food for their journey were permitted by the Mosaic law to pick enough grain to satisfy their hunger (Deut. 23:24-25). The Sabbath was originally given to the Jews as a special time of rest, in honor of the day God rested from His creation of the world (Gen 2:3). Unfortunately, after hundreds of years, the teaching of the rabbis have added numerous arbitrary restrictions to Gods law. A typical example was that one is forbidden to travel more than 3,000 feet from ones home. The Pharisees had interpreted the rubbing of grain in the hands as a form of threshing and forbidden it. Reaping for profit on the Sabbath was forbidden by the Mosaic law (Ex. 34:21), but it is not the case here.

2. What was consecrated bread and why did Mark say Abiathar the high priest instead of Ahimelech?

Consecrated bread were twelve loaves of unleavened bread placed on the table in the sanctuary. These loaves were to be replaced by fresh ones at the end of the week. The old loaves were to be eaten only by priests. It was not lawful for David and his companions to eat the bread, but God did not want them to starve either. In 1 Samuel 21:1, it was Ahimelech who gave the consecrated bread to David. Mark used the phrase in the days of Abiathar, which can mean during the lifetime. Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech, who became Davids famous High Priest.

1. Who were the Herodines?

The Herodians were a secular political party (during the first century), which took its name from Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. They favored the policies of the Herod, who paid tribute to Caesar because he depended on the support of the Roman Empire. They had no title to reign by law and by religion. The Herodians and Jesus were diametrically opposed to each other. The Pharisees on the other hand denied paying tribute to Caesar. Also, unlike the Pharisees, the Herodians did not oppose to idol worshiping and they did not believe in future lives. For these obvious reasons, the Pharisees and the Herodians did not get along with each other. However, they were willing to put aside their differences in plotting against Jesus.

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