Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees[b] saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?[c]

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

A Discussion about Fasting

18 Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

19 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

21 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

A Discussion about the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Footnotes

  1. 2:10 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  2. 2:16a Greek the scribes of the Pharisees.
  3. 2:16b Greek with tax collectors and sinners?

And having entered again into Kfar-Nachum after [many] yamim, it was heard that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is at home.

And many were gathered together so that there was no longer any room at the delet, and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking the dvar Hashem to them.

And they come bringing to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach a paralytic being carried along by arba’a anashim (four men).

And not being able to bring [the paralytic] to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach on account of the multitude, they removed the roof where Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was, and having made an opening, they lowered the mat upon which the paralytic was lying.

And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having seen the emunah of them, says to the paralytic, Beni, your averos are granted selicha.

And there were some of the Sofrim (Scribes) sitting there and thinking about these things in their levavot (hearts),

Why is this one speaking thus? He is guilty of Chillul Hashem gidduf (Desecration of the Name, blasphemy). Who is able to grant selicha (forgiveness) to averos (sins) except Hashem? [YESHAYAH 43:25]

And, ofen ort (immediately), having had daas in his ruach that in this way they were thinking, Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Why are you considering such things in your levavot?

Which is easier? To say to the paralytic, Your averos are granted selicha, or to say, Stand and pick up your mat and walk?

10 But in order that you may have daas that the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] has samchut (authority) on haaretz to grant that averos receive selicha, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to the paralytic

11 To you I say, Stand, pick up your mat, and go to your bais.

12 And the man arose, and, ofen ort (immediately), in front of everyone, taking the mat, he went outside. So everyone was astonished and gave kavod to Hashem saying, Never have we seen anything like this!

13 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went out again beside the lake; and all the multitude was coming to him, and he was teaching them Torah.

14 And as he was passing by, he saw Levi Ben Chalfai sitting in the tax office, and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to him, Follow me. And, getting up, Levi (Mattityahu) followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

15 And it came to pass that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach reclined at tish in Levi’s house, and many mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners) were reclining at tish with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and with his talmidim. For there were many, and they were following him.

16 And the Sofrim (scribes) of the Perushim, seeing that Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach eats with choteim (sinners) and mochesim (tax collectors), were saying to his talmidim, With mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners) does he eat?

17 And having heard this, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, It’s not the strong ones that have need of a rofeh (physician) but rather the cholim (sick persons). I did not come to call [the] tzaddikim (righteous ones) but the choteim (sinners) [to teshuva].

18 And the talmidim of Yochanan and the Perushim came with tzomot (fasts). And they come and say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why [do] the talmidim of the Perushim and the talmidim of Yochanan come with tzomot, but your talmidim do not?

19 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, said to them, Surely the Bnei HaChuppah of the Choson (Bridegroom) are not able to undergo tzomot as long as they have the Choson with them, nu? As long as they have the Choson with them, they are not able to undergo tzomot.

20 But yamim (days) will come when the Choson is taken away from them, and then they will undergo tzomot HaYom HaHu.

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch will pull away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.

22 And no one puts yayin chadash (new wine) into old wineskins; otherwise, the yayin will burst the wineskins and the yayin is lost and so are the wineskins. Instead yayin chadash (new wine) [is put] into new wineskins.

23 And it came about [that] on Shabbos, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was passing through the grainfields, and his talmidim began to make [their] way picking the heads of grain. [DEVARIM 23:25]

24 And the Perushim said to him, Look, why are they engaging in what is not mutar (permissible) in the Torah on Shabbos?

25 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Have you never read in the Tanakh what Dovid HaMelech did when he was in need and he was hungry, he and the ones with him?

26 How he entered into the Beis Hashem during the yamim of Evyatar the Kohen Gadol and the Lechem HaPanim he ate, which to be eaten it is not mutar (permissible) except by the Kohanim, and he gave [some] also to the ones with him. [DIVREY HAYAMIM ALEF 24:6, SHMUEL BAIS 8:17, VAYIKRA 24:5 9, SHMUEL ALEF 21:1-6]

27 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Shabbos was created for the sake of man and not man for the sake of Shabbos. [SHEMOT 23:12; DEVARIM 5:14]

28 Therefore, HaBen HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13, 14] is even Adon HaShabbos. [T.N. This book, which depends heavily on the preaching of Kefa from earliest times has been dated in the late forties or fifties, C.E.]

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.