Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 2]
It was not necessary, for their looks gave them away and Jesus
knew their thoughts (Mt 9:4) and perceived their reasoning (Lu
5:22). {Instantly Jesus recognized it in his own spirit}
(\euthus epignous ho I•sous t•i pneumati autou\, Mr 2:8). The
Master at once recognizes the hostile atmosphere in the house.
The debate (\dialogizomenoi\) in their hearts was written on
their faces. No sound had come, but feeling did.
2:7 {He blasphemeth} (\blasph•mei\). This is the unspoken charge
in their hearts which Jesus read like an open book. The correct
text here has this verb. They justify the charge with the
conviction that God alone has the power (\dunatai\) to forgive
sins. The word \blasph•me•\ means injurious speech or slander. It
was, they held, blasphemy for Jesus to assume this divine
prerogative. Their logic was correct. The only flaw in it was the
possibility that Jesus held a peculiar relation to God which
justified his claim. So the two forces clash here as now on the
deity of Christ Jesus. Knowing full well that he had exercised
the prerogative of God in forgiving the man's sins he proceeds to
justify his claim by healing the man.
2:10 {That ye may know} (\hina eid•te\). The scribes could have
said either of the alternatives in verse 9 with equal futility.
Jesus could say either with equal effectiveness. In fact Jesus
chose the harder first, the forgiveness which they could not see.
So he now performs the miracle of healing which all could see,
that all could know that (the Son of Man, Christ's favourite
designation of himself, a claim to be the Messiah in terms that
could not be easily attacked) he really had the authority and
power (\exousian\) to forgive sins. He has the right and power
here on earth to forgive sins, here and now without waiting for
the day of judgment. {He saith to the sick of the palsy}
(\legei\). This remarkable parenthesis in the middle of the
sentence occurs also in Mt 9:6 and Lu 5:24, proof that both
Matthew and Luke followed Mark's narrative. It is inconceivable
that all three writers should independently have injected the
same parenthesis at the same place.
2:12 {Before them all} (\emprosthen pant•n\). Lu 5:25 follows
Mark in this detail. He picked up (\aras\) his pallet and walked
and went home as Jesus had commanded him to do (Mr 2:11). It
was an amazing proceeding and made it unnecessary for Jesus to
refute the scribes further on this occasion. The amazement
(\existasthai\, our _ecstasy_, as Lu 5:26 has it), was too
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