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The Paralytic Healed

Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home.(A) So many people gathered together that there was no longer room [for them], not even near the door; and Jesus was discussing with them the word [of God]. Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.(B) When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they [a]removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the [b]scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said], “Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?” Immediately Jesus, being fully aware [of their hostility] and knowing in His spirit that they were thinking this, said to them, “Why are you debating and arguing about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the [c]Son of Man has the authority and power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before them all, so that they all were astonished and they glorified and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

13 Jesus went out again along the [Galilean] seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Levi (Matthew) Called

14 As He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) the son of Alphaeus sitting in the [d]tax collector’s booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk].” And he got up and followed Him [becoming His disciple, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].(C)

15 And it happened that Jesus was [e]reclining at the table in Levi’s house, and many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were eating with Him and His disciples; for there were many of them and they were [f]following Him. 16 When the scribes [belonging to the sect] of the [g]Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with the sinners [including non-observant Jews] and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat and drink with [h]tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness].”

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting [as a ritual]; and they came and asked Jesus, “Why are John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so?” 19 Jesus answered, “The attendants of the bridegroom [i]cannot fast while the bridegroom is [still] with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] [j]taken away from them, and they will fast at that time.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. 22 No one puts new wine into old [k]wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Question of the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath He was walking along [with His disciples] through the grainfields, and as they went along, His disciples began picking the heads of grain.(D) 24 The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what [l]is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and his companions;(E) 26 how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?”(F) 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.(G) 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [and He has authority over it].”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:4 The roof of a typical home was composed of clay tiles which were laid on a mat of branches and grass supported by wooden beams. The parallel passage in Luke explains that “they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles” (5:19).
  2. Mark 2:6 These were scholars of the Law and of the writings of the prophets.
  3. Mark 2:10 Jesus uses this title to identify Himself as Messiah (cf Dan 7:13). It appears over eighty times in the Gospels. Especially notable is its use in 8:31.
  4. Mark 2:14 I.e. customs office, toll house. Tax collection stations were usually located along the trade route or at the port.
  5. Mark 2:15 This Greek word was used to describe a festive meal with entertainment.
  6. Mark 2:15 See note 1:17.
  7. Mark 2:16 These men were an influential religious body of Jews who rigidly adhered to Mosaic Law and ceremonial tradition. Jesus called them to account for their self-righteousness and hypocrisy.
  8. Mark 2:16 All native Jews contracted by Rome to collect local taxes were despised, along with those who were non-observant Jews.
  9. Mark 2:19 Jewish tradition (as recorded in the Talmud) held that it was a religious duty to congratulate and entertain the bride and groom during the wedding festivities. By analogy, Jesus is saying that His disciples ought to rejoice while He is with them rather than engage in fasting, which was a sign of mourning.
  10. Mark 2:20 The words “taken away” allude to Jesus’ violent death on the cross (cf Is 53:8).
  11. Mark 2:22 See note Matt 9:17.
  12. Mark 2:24 See note Matt 12:2.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers(B) that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,(C) carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”(D)

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(E)

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(F) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,(G) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”(H)

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners(I)

13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him,(J) and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”(K) Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees(L) saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”(M)

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(N)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting(O)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.(P) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,(Q) and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(R)(S)

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.(T) 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”(U)

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest,(V) he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat.(W) And he also gave some to his companions.”(X)

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man,(Y) not man for the Sabbath.(Z) 28 So the Son of Man(AA) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.