Mark 2 - First Nations Version

HEALING AT VILLAGE OF COMFORT

¹ After many days Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went back to Village of Comfort (Capernaum), but word got out that he had returned home.

² So many people had gathered in the house that there was no more room. Even the entrance was blocked. Creator Sets Free (Jesus) began to teach the people there

³ when four men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat,

⁴ but they could not get past the crowd. In their desperation, they climbed up to the rooftop and broke through the roof right above Creator Sets Free (Jesus). They lowered the paralyzed man down, sleeping bundle and all.

⁵ When he saw their faith in him, he said to the paralyzed man, “Young man, you are released from your broken ways and the things in your heart that are not true to Creator’s good road.”

WHO CAN FORGIVE BROKEN WAYS?

⁶ There were some scroll keepers there who began to wonder in their hearts,

⁷ “Who is this man to speak against the Great Spirit with such disrespect? Who but the Maker of Life can release a man from his wrongdoings?” Under tribal law the only way to be forgiven for broken ways or wrongdoings was to go to the sacred lodge and have a ceremony performed by a holy man. By releasing this man from his broken ways, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was claiming to have the right to do this himself, which, to the spiritual leaders, was wrong.

⁸ In his spirit, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) knew right away what they were thinking and said to them, “Why are your hearts full of these thoughts?

⁹ Is it easier to tell a paralyzed man, ‘Get up and walk,’ or to say to him, ‘You are released from your wrongdoings’?” The room became quiet as he waited for an answer from them.

¹⁰ “This is how you will know that the True Human Being has the right to forgive bad hearts and broken ways on this earth.”

¹¹ He turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Get up, roll up your sleeping bundle, and walk home.”

¹² Right away the man stood up, and, in front of them all, he rolled up his sleeping bundle and walked out. Great amazement filled the hearts of all who were in the house as they gave praise to Creator. “Who has ever seen this kind of mysterious and powerful medicine?” they asked.

EATING WITH OUTCASTS

¹³ After this, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went once again to walk by the lake shore. A large crowd followed him there, so he was teaching them.

¹⁴ As he walked the shore, he saw a tribal tax collector named He Brings Together (Levi), the son of First to Change (Alphaeus) sitting at his tax booth. “Come,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to him, “and walk the road with me.” He Brings Together (Levi) got up from his tax booth, left that life behind him, and became a follower of Creator Sets Free (Jesus). Tribal tax collectors were often Tribal Members who were given the right to collect taxes for the People of Iron (Romans). They could force their own people, under the threat of violence, to pay them. To make a living, they would take more than the People of Iron (Romans) required. But many of them became greedy and took even more than they were permitted. They were hated and looked down on by the people.

¹⁵ Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went to a feast at the home of He Brings Together (Levi) and sat down to eat with the guests. There were many other tribal tax collectors and other outcasts also sitting with Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and his close followers, for many outcasts had become his followers.

¹⁶ When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) and the scroll keepers saw Creator Sets Free (Jesus) eating with outcasts, they complained to his close followers, saying, “Why does your wisdomkeeper keep company with tribal tax collectors and other outcasts?”

¹⁷ Creator Sets Free (Jesus) overheard them and said, “People who are well do not need medicine. I have not come to the ones who are already walking the good road, but to help the bad-hearted and broken ones find the way back home.” It was a common practice among the tribal people to go without food to help their prayers and for other spiritual reasons. Sometimes it was done out of sadness and sorrow for a friend or a family member’s troubles.

NEW WAYS FOR OLD

¹⁸ Some of the followers of Gift of Goodwill (John) and the Separated Ones (Pharisees) were ceremonially going without food, so they came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus). “Why do your followers feast,” they questioned him, “instead of going without food and praying often like we do?”

¹⁹ “Do you expect wedding guests to be sad and go without eating when the groom is hosting a feast?” he answered. “No! As long as the groom is there with them, they will feast!

²⁰ But the time will come when he is taken from them. Then they will be sad and go without eating.” They still did not understand, so he gave them a wise saying.

²¹ “No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch an old garment, for it would shrink and make the tear worse.

²² No one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the new wine would burst the skins. New and fresh wineskins are what is needed.”

CHIEF OVER THE DAY OF RESTING

²³ On a Day of Resting, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and his followers were walking through a field of grain. The men were hungry, so as they walked, they plucked some grain to eat.

²⁴ When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) saw what they were doing, they said to him, “Why do your followers do what is not permitted on the Day of Resting?”

²⁵ He answered them, “Have you not heard about the time long ago when the great chief Much Loved One (David) was hungry?

²⁶ How he and his followers went into Creator’s ceremonial lodge, when Father of Plenty (Abiathar) was the chief holy man, and ate the ceremonial bread? Only the holy men are permitted to eat this bread.

²⁷ “Human beings were not made for the Day of Resting. Instead, the Day of Resting was made for human beings.

²⁸ So then, the True Human Being is Chief over the Day of Resting!”