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Jesus Heals a Paralytic

And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. (B)And they *came, bringing to Him a (C)paralytic, carried by four men. And being unable to bring him to [a]Jesus because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof over where He was; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the mat where the (E)paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Child, (F)your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; (G)who can forgive sins [b]but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, aware [c]in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralytic, ‘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 Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go to your home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this.”

13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (K)the entire crowd was coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Levi and Sinners Called

14 (L)And as He passed by, He saw [d](M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, (N)Follow Me!” And he stood up and followed Him.

15 And it *[e]happened that as He was reclining at the table in his house, many tax collectors and [f]sinners [g]were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. For there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 And when (O)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to His disciples, “(P)He is eating and drinking with tax collectors and [h]sinners!” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, (Q)Those who are healthy do not have need for a physician, but only those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18 (R)And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can [i]the attendants of the bridegroom fast when the bridegroom is with them? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (S)days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

21 “No one sews [j]a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise [k]that patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

Lord of the Sabbath

23 (T)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (U)picking the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (V)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God around the time of (W)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [l]consecrated bread, which (X)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And Jesus was saying to them, (Y)The Sabbath [m]was made [n]for man, and (Z)not man [o]for the Sabbath. 28 Consequently the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:4 Lit Him
  2. Mark 2:7 Lit if not one, God
  3. Mark 2:8 Lit by
  4. Mark 2:14 Also called Matthew
  5. Mark 2:15 Lit happens
  6. Mark 2:15 Irreligious Jews
  7. Mark 2:15 Or dining
  8. Mark 2:16 Irreligious Jews
  9. Mark 2:19 Lit sons of the bridal chamber
  10. Mark 2:21 Lit that which is put on
  11. Mark 2:21 Lit that which fills up
  12. Mark 2:26 Or showbread; lit loaves of presentation
  13. Mark 2:27 Or came into being
  14. Mark 2:27 Lit for the sake of
  15. Mark 2:27 Lit for the sake of

Healing and forgiveness

After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”

Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, “Why does he speak this way? He’s insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins.”

Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’? 10 But so you will know that the Human One[a] has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, 11 “Get up, take your mat, and go home.”

12 Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”

Eating with sinners

13 Jesus went out beside the lake again. The whole crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he continued along, he saw Levi, Alphaeus’ son, sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up and followed him.

15 Jesus sat down to eat at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples. Indeed, many of them had become his followers. 16 When some of the legal experts from among the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why is he eating with sinners and tax collectors?”

17 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

When to fast

18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees had a habit of fasting. Some people asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but yours don’t?”

19 Jesus said, “The wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. 20 But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

21 “No one sews a piece of new, unshrunk cloth on old clothes; otherwise, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and makes a worse tear. 22 No one pours new wine into old leather wineskins; otherwise, the wine would burst the wineskins and the wine would be lost and the wineskins destroyed. But new wine is for new wineskins.”

Scripture and the Sabbath

23 Jesus went through the wheat fields on the Sabbath. As the disciples made their way, they were picking the heads of wheat. 24 The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look! Why are they breaking the Sabbath law?”

25 He said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was in need, when he and those with him were hungry? 26 During the time when Abiathar was high priest, David went into God’s house and ate the bread of the presence, which only the priests were allowed to eat. He also gave bread to those who were with him.” 27 Then he said, “The Sabbath was created for humans; humans weren’t created for the Sabbath. 28 This is why the Human One[b] is Lord even over the Sabbath.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:10 Or Son of Man
  2. Mark 2:28 Or Son of Man