Mark 2

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals

1 When He entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them. 3 Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men.

4 Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves:

7 "Why does He speak like this? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'? 10 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," He told the paralytic,

11 "I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home."

12 Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

The Call of Matthew

13 Then Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught them.

14 Then, moving on, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" So he got up and followed Him.

Dining with Sinners

15 While He was reclining at the table in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also guests with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him.

16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

17 When Jesus heard this, He told them, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick [do need one]. I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

A Question about Fasting

18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked Him, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
19 Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made.

22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."

Lord of the Sabbath

23 On the Sabbath He was going through the grainfields, and His disciples began to make their way picking some heads of grain.

24 The Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25 He said to them, "Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry- 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the sacred bread-which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests-and also gave some to his companions?" 27 Then He told them, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Mark 2

Jesus heals a crippled man

(Matthew 9.1-8; Luke 5.17-26)

1 Jesus went back to Capernaum, and a few days later people heard that he was at home.t

2 Then so many of them came to the house that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door.
Jesus was still teaching 3 when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat.

4 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the rooft above him and let the man down in front of everyone.

5 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering,

7 “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”
8 Straight away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? 10 I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man,

11 “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.”

12 The man got straight up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Jesus chooses Levi

(Matthew 9.9-13; Luke 5.27-32)

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, “Come with me!” So he got up and went with Jesus.

15 Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi's house.t Many tax collectorst and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.

16 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”

People ask about going without eating

(Matthew 9.14-17; Luke 5.33-39)

18 The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees often went without eating.t Some people came and asked Jesus, “Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while your disciples never do?”

19 Jesus answered:
The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them.

20 But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.

21 No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.

22 No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins.t Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.

A question about the Sabbath

(Matthew 12.1-8; Luke 6.1-5)

24 Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!”
25 Jesus answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need?t

26 It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers.”t
27 Jesus finished by saying, “People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.”