Slice of life christian comic strip
Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Mark 3:18-19 ESV
The next set of the disciples that Jesus called (also called the twelve apostles)
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
Mark 3:7-12
In contrast of the Pharisees wanting to kill Jesus, there are a great crowd who’s following Jesus. However most of them are just following Jesus just to be healed.
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
Mark 2:21-22 ESV
Jesus explains with another 2 examples that when the new one has come and fulfil the needs, why go back to the old way and use the old method? Because indeed Jesus has come to fulfil the Old Testament therefore there was no need to do the old tradition. Jesus has come to forgive the sins of humanity and he stood as the sacrifice for our sin therefore don’t bring the old law and try to forcefully use it as a patch! :) Isn’t it great the fact that we just need to enjoy the new wine in the new wineskin :)
The old is gone and the new has come!
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. (Mark 2:1-4 ESV)
What a faith from the paralytic’s friend to even remove someone’s rooftop because they believe Jesus can heal their friend :)
But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
(Mark 1:45 ESV)
The leper was given only one job to do, to not speak about his healing to others but to report to the priest so that he can be declared clean first to follow Moses’ law. But instead he told everyone, because of what he’s done a lot of people only find Jesus just for healing, not for what Jesus’s true purpose, the healing of sin, not just a healing of the body!
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
(Mark 1:40-44 ESV)
Leprosy is not a common disease back then, and not just a normal illness. Having leprosy in the community of Israel means expulsion form Israelites community. They will be put outside the community, and are not allowed to be touched for fearing that the illness will infect other people. No one will want to touch them, and they will have to warn people whenever they’re around by crying “unclean, unclean.”
He is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest must pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head.
The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.
(Leviticus 13:44-46 ESV)
So Jesus’ act of healing the man with leprosy is not just a mere healing, but also shows his mercy and willingness to accept someone who is sick and rejected!
Jesus also told him to report back to the priest, just like what Moses commanded in the book of Leviticus chapter 14.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
(Mark 1:32-34 ESV)
Jesus continues healing people and casting out the demons showing his authority as the Son of God. It’s probably a bit weird that Jesus would not permit the demons to speak of Jesus’ true nature, but it’s so that Jesus can control the way in which people will come to know who he really is.
