The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

1Whena He entered Capernaumb again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. 2So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the messagec to them. 3Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic,d carried by four men. 4Since they were not able to bring him toe Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

5Seeing their faith,f Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sinsg are forgiven.”h

6But some of the •scribesi were sitting there, thinkingj to themselves:k 7“Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming!l Who can forgivem sinsn but God alone? ”o

8Right awayp Jesus understood in His spiritq that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?r 9Which is easier:s to say to the paralytic,t ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?u 10But so you may know that the •Son of Manv has authorityw on earth to forgive sins,”x He told the paralytic, 11“I tell you: get up,y pick up your mat, and go home.”

12Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astoundedz and gave gloryaa to God,ab saying, “We have never seen anything like this! ”ac

The Call of Matthew

13Thenad Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taughtae them. 14Then, moving on, He saw Leviaf the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,ag and He said to him, “Follow Me! ”ah So he got up and followedai Him.

Dining with Sinners

15While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectorsaj and sinnersak were also guestsal, am with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. 16When the scribesan of the •Phariseesao, ap saw that He was eatingaq with sinnersar and tax collectors,as they asked His disciples, “Why does He eatat with tax collectors and sinners? ”

17When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t needau a doctor,av but the sickaw do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,ax but sinners.”ay

A Question about Fasting

18Nowaz John’sba disciplesbb and the Phariseesbc, bd were fasting.be People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast? ”

19Jesus said to them, “The wedding guestsbf cannot fast while the groombg is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20But the timebh will comebi when the groom is taken away from them,bj and then they will fastbk in that day. 21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,bl and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new winebm into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burstbn the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.bo But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

23Onbp the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciplesbq began to make their way picking some heads of grain. 24The Phariseesbr said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawfulbs on the Sabbath? ”

25He said to them, “Have you never read what Davidbt and those who were with him did when he was in needbu and hungrybv — 26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiatharbw the high priestbx and ate the •sacred breadby — which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priestsbz — and also gave some to his companions? ” 27Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made forca man and not man forcb the Sabbath.cc 28Therefore, the Son of Mancd is Lordce even of the Sabbath.”cf