Ezekiel 45 lays out the dimensions of the land for the Temple, for the priests, for the people of Israel and for the princes. It also lays out the command for righteousness to be practiced by all the people of Israel, particularly the “prince.” The LORD outlines the official weights and measures for the people, and the ordering of when the special feasts and sacrifices shall be, including the observance of Passover. The chapter shows us the LORD intended to reinstitute Israel in holiness.
Ezekiel 46 offers more instructions for the prince and for the people for the observance of the Sabbath. The Prince was to sit at the east gate on the Sabbath. That gate was to be closed except on the Sabbath, and when it was opened the prince would enter by the vestibule and sit in the gate. The people who came to the Temple and entered the north gate were to leave by the south one, and those who entered by the southern gate were to leave by the northern one. They were not to retrace their steps, but to go forward. This is a powerful image of how we who follow the LORD are not to turn back. In other words, once we have repented – turned around – we are to keep going straight. As the chapter continues, Ezekiel is given instructions about how the outer courts were to be arranged, and what sacrifices were to be offered when. He is also given instructions for boiling pots for the meat and where they were to be located. While all this might seem strange to us, given that Jesus is our once and for all sacrifice, the point of it all is the LORD was going to reestablish righteousness and worship among the people. The LORD was going to be first, and the people were going to live in obedience.
As we return to Mark 2, we find Jesus having His first run in with the religious leaders. In Capernaum, as Jesus was ministering in a house, a group of four men carried their paralytic friend to Jesus for healing. When they couldn’t get in the door of the house, because of the crowd, they opened a hole in the roof, and let their friend down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the man’s friends’ faith, He told the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” This raised a great discontent among the religious leaders. They asked how Jesus thought He could forgive sins, the prerogative of God alone. Jesus responded by asking whether it was easier to forgive sins, or tell the paralytic to get up and walk? To show His authority to forgive sins, He healed the man physically. All were amazed.
Next, Jesus called Levi or Matthew, a tax-collector to follow Him. This also raised the ire of the religious leaders. When Levi invited Jesus to a meal at His home, along with all his friends, who were mainly tax-collectors and other assorted sinners, the religious leaders asked why Jesus would eat with “them.” Jesus responded the healthy don’t need a doctor but the sick. (Jesus pronounced something vital for us: there is no “them.” We are all sinners.)
Next, the people raised a question with Jesus about fasting. They wanted to know why John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus’ disciples did not? Jesus responded that no one fasts during the wedding feast, and so long as He, the “bridegroom” was present His disciples wouldn’t fast, but when He was gone, they would.