Mark 2
Expanded Bible
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)
2 A few days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. 2 Many people gathered together so that there was no room in the house, not even ·outside [near; in front of] the door. And Jesus was ·teaching them God’s message [L speaking the word to them]. 3 Four people came, carrying a paralyzed man. 4 Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking. [C Palestinian roofs were generally flat and made of thatch and dried mud.] When they got through, they lowered the ·mat [cot] with the paralyzed man on it. 5 When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralyzed man, “·Young man [Child; Son], your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the ·teachers of the law [scribes] were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this man ·say things like that [speak this way]? He is ·speaking as if he were God [L blaspheming]. ·Only God can forgive sins.” [L “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”; cf. Is. 43:25].
8 Jesus knew immediately [in his spirit] what these teachers of the law were thinking. So he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things [L in your hearts]? 9 Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up. Take your ·mat [cot] and walk’? 10 But ·I will prove to you [L so that you may know] that the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, stand up, take your ·mat [cot], and go home.” 12 Immediately the paralyzed man stood up, took his ·mat [cot], and walked out while everyone was watching him.
The people were [all] amazed and praised God. They said, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi to Follow Him(B)
13 Jesus went to the lake again. The whole crowd ·followed him [came to him] there, and he taught them. 14 While he was walking along, he saw a man named Levi son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax collector’s booth [C probably a tariff booth for taxing goods in transit]. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he stood up and followed Jesus.
15 Later, as Jesus was ·having dinner [L reclining; C around a low table, the posture for a formal banquet or dinner party] at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating there with Jesus and his followers. Many people like this followed Jesus. 16 When the ·teachers of the law [scribes] who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they asked his followers, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [C Tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion.]
17 Jesus heard this and said to them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to ·invite [call] ·good people [the righteous; C meaning the “self-righteous” who feel no need to repent] but to ·invite [call] sinners [C those who recognize their need to repent].”
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(C)
18 Now the ·followers [disciples] of John [C the Baptist; 1:4–8] and the Pharisees often fasted [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes]. ·Some people [L They] came to Jesus and said, “Why do John’s ·followers [disciples] and the ·followers [disciples] of the Pharisees often fast, but your ·followers [disciples] don’t?”
19 Jesus answered, “The ·friends of the bridegroom [or wedding guests; L children of the wedding hall] do not fast while the bridegroom is still with them [C Jesus is referring to himself; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7]. As long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the ·time [L days] will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and ·then [in that day] they will fast.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in an old ·coat [garment]. Otherwise, the patch will shrink and pull away—the new patch will pull away from the old ·coat [garment]. Then the ·hole [tear] will be worse. 22 Also, no one ever pours new wine into old ·leather bags [wineskins]. Otherwise, the new wine will break the ·bags [skins; C as the wine ferments and expands], and the wine will be ·ruined [lost] along with the ·bags [skins]. But new wine should be put into new ·leather bags [wineskins].”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(D)
23 One Sabbath day, as Jesus was walking through some fields of grain, his ·followers [disciples] began to [make a path and] pick some grain to eat [Deut. 23:25]. 24 The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Why are your followers doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” [C Gleaning was viewed as work, and therefore forbidden on the Sabbath; Ex. 34:21.]
25 Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and ·those with him [his companions] were hungry and needed food [1 Sam. 21:1–6]? 26 ·During the time of Abiathar [or, In the account about Abiathar] the high priest, David went into God’s house and ate the ·holy bread [consecrated bread; L bread of presentation], which is lawful only for priests to eat [Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–9]. And David also gave some of the bread to those who were with him.”
27 Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Sabbath day was made ·to help people [T for man]; ·they were not made to be ruled by [T not man for] the Sabbath day. 28 So then, the Son of Man is ·Lord [Master] even of the Sabbath day.”
Mark 2
Amplified Bible
The Paralytic Healed
2 Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home.(A) 2 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]. 3 Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.(B) 4 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. 5 When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the [b]scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said], 7 “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?” 8 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? 9 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
- 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).
- Mark 2:6 These were scholars of the Law and of the writings of the prophets.
- 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.
- Mark 2:14 I.e. customs office, toll house. Tax collection stations were usually located along the trade route or at the port.
- Mark 2:15 This Greek word was used to describe a festive meal with entertainment.
- Mark 2:15 See note 1:17.
- 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.
- Mark 2:16 All native Jews contracted by Rome to collect local taxes were despised, along with those who were non-observant Jews.
- 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.
- Mark 2:20 The words “taken away” allude to Jesus’ violent death on the cross (cf Is 53:8).
- Mark 2:22 See note Matt 9:17.
- Mark 2:24 See note Matt 12:2.
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