Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for June 26, 2011

Series in Mark

“In Forgiving Sin, Jesus shows us that we are Sinners” – Mark 2:13-20

Mark 2:1-12
Jesus introduces Himself as the One who can forgive sins and the healer of the sick. So, who are we?

Mark 2:13-17

The “righteousness of God” to Martin Luther’s generation meant God’s wrath; but, when he read in Romans 1:17 that the righteousness of God was revealed in the Gospel, he knew that the consensus of his day was not correct. Luther remained puzzled by the phrase until a man by the name of Johann von Staupitz, Doctor of Divinity and Vicar-General of the Augustinian convents in Germany, sat down with him and told him that “the righteousness of God” is not the righteousness God does but the righteousness that God gives to those who have no righteousness of their own.

So Jesus shows us that we are sinners.

Mark 2:18-20
Some ask Jesus why His disciples don’t fast.
While Jesus was present with His disciples, it was a time of celebration, not of mourning, as signified by fasting.

Footnote on Staupitz:

Although Staupitz was responsible for Luther coming to an understanding of grace and faith, Staupitz remained staunchly Catholic and condemned in Luther’s preaching what he perceived to be encouragement to license and insisted that works nevertheless played a role in salvation.