The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

2 When^(A) He entered Capernaum^(B) again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. ² So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message^(C) to them. ³ Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic,^(D) carried by four men. ⁴ Since they were not able to bring him to^[a] 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.

⁵ Seeing their faith,^(E) Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins^(F) are forgiven.”^(G)

⁶ But some of the scribes^(H) were sitting there, thinking^(I) to themselves:^{[b] 7} “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming!^(J) Who can forgive^(K) sins^(L) but God alone?”^(M)

⁸ Right away^(N) Jesus understood in His spirit^(O) that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?^{[c] 9} Which is easier:^(P) to say to the paralytic,^(Q) ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?^{(R) 10} But so you may know that the Son of Man^(S) has authority^(T) on earth to forgive sins,”^(U) He told the paralytic, ¹¹ “I tell you: get up,^(V) pick up your mat, and go home.”

¹² Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded^(W) and gave glory^(X) to God,^(Y) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”^(Z)

The Call of Matthew

¹³ Then^(AA) Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught^(AB) them. ¹⁴ Then, moving on, He saw Levi^(AC) the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,^(AD) and He said to him, “Follow Me!”^(AE) So he got up and followed^(AF) Him.

Dining with Sinners

¹⁵ While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors^(AG) and sinners^(AH) were also guests^[d](AI) with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes^(AJ) of the Pharisees^[e](AK) saw that He was eating^(AL) with sinners^(AM) and tax collectors,^(AN) they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat^[f] with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Those who are well don’t need^(AO) a doctor,^(AP) but the sick^(AQ) do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous,^(AR) but sinners.”^(AS)

A Question about Fasting

¹⁸ Now^(AT) John’s^(AU) disciples^(AV) and the Pharisees^[g](AW) were fasting.^(AX) People came and asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests^[h] cannot fast while the groom^(AY) is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ But the time^[i] will come^(AZ) when the groom is taken away from them,^(BA) and then they will fast^(BB) in that day. ²¹ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,^(BC) and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine^(BD) into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst^(BE) the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins.^[j] But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

²³ On^(BF) the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples^(BG) began to make their way picking some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees^(BH) said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful^(BI) on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ He said to them, “Have you never read what David^(BJ) and those who were with him did when he was in need^(BK) and hungry^(BL)— ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar^(BM) the high priest^(BN) and ate the sacred bread^(BO)—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests^(BP)—and also gave some to his companions?” ²⁷ Then He told them, “The Sabbath was made for^[k] man and not man for^[l] the Sabbath.^{(BQ) 28} Therefore, the Son of Man^(BR) is Lord^(BS) even of the Sabbath.”^(BT)