Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 And when he returned to [Matt. 9:1]Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 For ver. 3-12, see Matt. 9:2-8;Luke 5:18-26And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, [Luke 5:19]they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus ch. 10:52;Matt. 8:10,13;9:22,29;15:28;Luke 7:9,50;17:19;18:42;Acts 3:16;14:9;James 5:15saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, Luke 7:48;[John 5:14]your sins are forgiven."6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this man speak like that? ch. 14:64;John 10:36He is blaspheming! Ps. 32:5;Isa. 43:25Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 And immediately Jesus, See John 2:25perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts?9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?10 But that you may know that [ver. 28]the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic— 11 "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and See Luke 7:16glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and See ch. 1:45all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 For ver. 14-22, see Matt. 9:9-17;Luke 5:27-38And as he passed by, he saw [Matt. 9:9]Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many Matt. 11:19;Luke 15:2tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And Acts 4:5;23:9the scribes of2:16 Some manuscripts and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, [See ver. 15above]"Why does he eat2:16 Some manuscripts add and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [Luke 15:7;John 9:39] I came not to call the righteous, 1 Tim. 1:15but sinners."
A Question About Fasting
18 Now Matt. 11:2;14:12;Luke 11:1;John 1:35;3:25;4:1;[Acts 18:25;19:3] John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, [ch. 7:5] "Why do John’s disciples and Luke 18:12the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" 19 And Jesus said to them, John 3:29"Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20 See Luke 17:22The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and [John 16:20]then they will fast in that day.21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.22 And no one puts new wine into old Josh. 9:4wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."2:22 Some manuscripts omit But new wine is for fresh wineskins
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 For ver. 23-28, see Matt. 12:1-8;Luke 6:1-5One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples Deut. 23:25began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, [Matt. 9:11] why are they doing [Ex. 20:9-11]what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, See Matt. 21:16"Have you never read 1 Sam. 21:1-6what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of2:26 Or in the passage about1 Chr. 24:6;[1 Sam. 21:1;2 Sam. 8:17] Abiathar the high priest, and ate Ex. 25:30;Lev. 24:5-9the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"27 And he said to them, Ex. 23:12;Deut. 5:14"The Sabbath was made for man, Col. 2:16not man for the Sabbath.28 So [ver. 10]the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."