Christ the King of Sinners

All welcome as we continue our series on Mark’s Gospel this Sunday. We’ll explore why being a good religious person can be more dangerous than breaking the rules and living an irreligious life. We’ll encounter Christ the King of Sinners: The King who calls sinners, befriends sinners, heals the sin sick yet judges the righteous (Mark 2.13-17).

Discussion Questions

  1. Compare and contrast: the calls of Simon, Andrew, James and John on the one hand (Mark 1.16-20); and Levi on the other (Mark 2.13-14).
  2. Why was Levi so disliked by his people? (see a good Bible dictionary on Tax Collectors). What does this say about Jesus, if he called one such as Levi?
  3. What does the Pharisees’ reaction to Jesus (2.15-16) reveal about the Pharisees themselves?
  4. What strikes you about Jesus’ own view of his purpose (v17)?
  5. Who is in the more dangerous spiritual position- ‘the healthy’ or ‘the sick’? Why? (see Jesus’ mini parable Mark 2.17)
  6. What clues does Mark give us as to the nature of the medicine this ‘Soul Doctor’ offers (See Mark 2.5; Mark 10.45)?
  7. There are two ways to be a sinner- going your own way and pursuing personal freedom, or keeping the rules and looking down upon those who don’t. How does Mark illustrate these two options in our text today?
  8. What hope do the self-righteous have? (see Philippians 3.1-11).