Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

² And lo, they brought to him a paralyzed man lying in his bed. And when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you. ³ And certain of the scribes said in themselves, This man blasphemes.

⁴ When Jesus saw their thoughts, he said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier to say: Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise and walk? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of man has power to forgive sins in earth–

Then he said to the paralytic, Arise, take up your bed, and go home to your house. ⁷ And the man arose and departed to his own house. ⁸ And when the people saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God who had given such power to men.

⁹ And as Jesus passed onwards from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

¹⁰ And it came to pass, as he sat at food in Matthew’s house, that many publicans and sinners came and sat down also with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with publicans and sinners?

¹² When Jesus heard this, he said to them, The whole do not need the physician, but they that are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: I have pleasure in mercy, and not in offering. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.