Healing the Paralytic and Forgiving Sins
Study note
When four friends lower a paralyzed man through the roof to reach Jesus, their extraordinary faith is met with an even more extraordinary response: Jesus first forgives the man's sins. The scribes immediately charge him with blasphemy, since only God can forgive sins. Jesus then heals the man as visible proof of his invisible authority to forgive, establishing a claim to divine prerogative that will fuel growing opposition throughout the Gospel.
1 Several days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum. As soon as people heard he was back in town, And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 so many people packed into the house that there was no room left. People were even crowded outside the door. And Jesus was teaching them the word. 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.
3 Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat, trying to bring him to Jesus. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 They could not get through the crowd, so they went up on the roof above where Jesus was. They made an opening by digging through it and lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. 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.
5 When Jesus saw how much faith these men had, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 Some scribes were sitting there, and they started thinking to themselves, But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 "How dare he say that! Only God can forgive sins! This man is speaking against God!" Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 Jesus instantly sensed in his spirit what they were thinking. He asked them, "Why are those thoughts running through your minds?" 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?
9 "Tell me, which is simpler to say to this paralyzed man -- 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, grab your mat, and walk'?" 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 I want to prove to you that the Son of man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he turned to the paralyzed man and said, 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 "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home." I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 The man stood right up, grabbed his mat, and walked out while everyone watched. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, "Nothing like this has ever happened before!" 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.
The Calling of Levi
Study note
Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector despised as a traitor and sinner, and then dines at his house with other social outcasts. When the Pharisees object, Jesus responds with the memorable declaration that he came not for the righteous but for sinners, like a physician who goes to the sick. This scene defines Jesus' mission as one of radical inclusion and mercy, challenging religious people who draw boundaries around God's grace.
13 Jesus headed back to the shore of the lake. A crowd gathered around him there, and he taught them. And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14 While walking along, he noticed Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at his tax collection booth. Jesus said, "Come, follow me." Levi got up and went with him. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphæus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15 Later, Jesus was eating dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners ate right alongside Jesus and his disciples. A large number of them had become his followers. 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 Some scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. They asked his disciples, "How can he eat with people like that?" 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 Jesus heard their question and replied, "Healthy people do not need a doctor -- sick people do. I did not come to help people who think they are already good enough. I came for those who know they need help." 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.
The Question About Fasting
Study note
When asked why his disciples do not fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees, Jesus uses the image of a wedding feast to explain that joy, not mourning, is the appropriate response to his presence. The parables of unshrunk cloth on old clothing and new wine in old wineskins teach that Jesus' message cannot simply be added to existing religious structures. The kingdom he brings requires entirely new forms to contain its transforming power.
18 The followers of John and the followers of the Pharisees were going without food as part of their religious practice. Some people came and asked Jesus, "John's followers fast, and the Pharisees' followers fast. Why don't your followers do the same?" 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 Jesus answered, "Do wedding guests go hungry while they are celebrating with the groom? Of course not! As long as the groom is there with them, they are going to feast." 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 a time is coming when the groom will be taken away from them. When that day arrives, they will fast." But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 "Nobody patches old clothes with a piece of new fabric. If you try, the new patch will shrink and pull away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole." 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 nobody pours fresh wine into worn-out leather wineskins. If you do, the wine will burst the skins open. You will lose both the wine and the skins. Fresh wine needs fresh wineskins." 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.
Lord of the Sabbath
Study note
When the Pharisees accuse the disciples of breaking the Sabbath by picking grain, Jesus appeals to the precedent of David eating the consecrated bread when in need. His concluding declaration that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the other way around, and that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, asserts his authority over the very institution that defined Jewish religious identity. This claim would have been understood as nothing less than a divine prerogative.
23 One Sabbath, Jesus was walking through some grain fields with his disciples. As they went along, his disciples started picking heads of grain to eat. 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 The Pharisees challenged Jesus, "Look at that! Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!" And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 Jesus answered, "Have you never read what David did? He and his men were hungry and had nothing to eat." 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 "During the time when Abiathar was the high priest, David went right into God's house and ate the sacred bread that only priests were allowed to eat. He even shared it with the men who were with him." 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 Then Jesus told them, "The Sabbath was created to help people. People were not created to serve the Sabbath." And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 "Therefore the Son of man has authority over the Sabbath itself." Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.