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!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2:10 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)

Several days later, Jesus[a] returned to Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. Such a large crowd gathered that there wasn’t room for them, even in front of the door. Jesus[b] was speaking his message to them when some people[c] came and brought him a paralyzed man being carried by four men. Since they couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where he was. They dug through it and let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he told the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some scribes were sitting there, arguing among themselves,[d] “Why does this man talk this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

At once, Jesus knew in his spirit what they were saying to themselves. “Why are you arguing about such things among yourselves?”[e] he asked them. “Which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 But I want you to know[f] that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he told the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 So the man[g] got up, immediately picked up his mat, and went out in front of all of them.

As a result, all of the people were amazed and began to glorify God as they kept on saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 2:1 Lit. he
  2. Mark 2:2 Lit. He
  3. Mark 2:3 Lit. they
  4. Mark 2:6 Lit. in their hearts
  5. Mark 2:8 Lit. in your hearts
  6. Mark 2:10 Lit. So that you will know
  7. Mark 2:12 Lit. he