1Several days later Jesus came back to Capernaum. The report went out that he was home. 2Many people had gathered. There was no room left, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking [God's] word to them. 3Four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. 4Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where Jesus was. Then they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." 6Some scribes were sitting there. They thought, 7"Why does he talk this way? He's dishonoring God. Who besides God can forgive sins?" 8At once, Jesus knew inwardly what they were thinking. He asked them, "Why do you have these thoughts? 9Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your cot, and walk'? 10I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he said to the paralyzed man, 11"I'm telling you to get up, pick up your cot, and go home!" 12The man got up, immediately picked up his cot, and walked away while everyone watched. Everyone was amazed and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

13Jesus went to the seashore again. Large crowds came to him, and he taught them.

14When Jesus was leaving, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting in a tax office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" So Levi got up and followed him.

15Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners who were followers of Jesus were eating with him and his disciples. 16When the scribes who were Pharisees saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 17When Jesus heard that, he said to them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor; those who are sick do. I've come to call sinners, not people who think they have God's approval."

18John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but your disciples don't?" 19Jesus replied, "Can wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

21"No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. Otherwise, the new patch will shrink and rip away some of the old cloth, and the tear will become worse. 22People don't pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins."

23Once on a day of worship Jesus was going through the grainfields. As the disciples walked along, they began to pick the heads of grain. 24The Pharisees asked him, "Look! Why are your disciples doing something that is not permitted on the day of worship?" 25Jesus asked them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and his men were in need and were hungry? 26Haven't you ever read how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was chief priest and ate the bread of the presence? He had no right to eat those loaves. Only the priests have that right. Haven't you ever read how he also gave some of it to his men?" 27Then he added, "The day of worship was made for people, not people for the day of worship. 28For this reason the Son of Man has authority over the day of worship."