Mark 2

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

1 Nowt after some days, when he returned to Capernaum,ss the news spreadt that he was at home.2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even byt the door, and he preached the word to them.3 Some peoplet came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.t4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roofs above Jesus.t Then,t after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on.5 When Jesus saw theirs faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”s6 Now some of the experts in the lawt were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds:t7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming!s Who can forgive sins but God alone?”8 Nowt immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts,t he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?t9 Which is easier,s to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’?10 But so that you may knows that the Son of Mans has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralytics –11 “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”t

12 And immediately the mant stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners

13 Jesust went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth.ts “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.15 As Jesust was having a mealts in Levi’st home, many tax collectorss and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.16 When the experts in the lawt and the Phariseess saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”s

17 When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.s I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Superiority of the New

18 Nowt John’ss disciples and the Phariseess were fasting.s Sot they came to Jesust and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”19 Jesust said to them, “The wedding guestst cannot fast while the bridegrooms is with them, can they?t As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast.20 But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them,s and at that timet they will fast.21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse.

22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins;s otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins.”s

Lord of the Sabbath

23 Jesust was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheatt as they made their way.24 Sot the Phariseess said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?”25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry –26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priestt and ate the sacred bread,ts which is against the laws for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?”s27 Thent he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people,t not people for the Sabbath.

28 For this reason the Son of Man is lordts even of the Sabbath.”

MARK 2

Jesus Heals a Man //Who Could Not Walk

(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 man on a mat because he could not walk.

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 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 At once, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Is it easier for me to tell this man 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 right 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, “Follow 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 Jesus 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  t Jesus answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need?

26 t 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.”
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.”