MarkChapter 2

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¹A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum. The people heard that he was home. ²So many people gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door. And Jesus spoke the word to them. ³Then some people brought him a man who could not move his body. Four men were carrying him. ⁴They could not get to Jesus because of the crowd. So they took apart the roof above him. They made an opening and let the man down on his mat. ⁵Jesus saw their faith. He said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." ⁶But some of the scribes were sitting there. They were thinking to themselves, ⁷"Why does this man talk like this? He is speaking against God! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" ⁸Right away Jesus knew in his spirit what they were thinking. "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?" he asked. ⁹"Which is easier to say to this man? Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven'? Or is it easier to say, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'? ¹⁰But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Then he spoke to the man who could not move. ¹¹"I tell you, get up. Pick up your mat and go home." ¹²Right away the man got up. He picked up his mat and walked out while everyone watched. They were all amazed, and they praised God. "We have never seen anything like this!" they said. ¹³Jesus went out beside the sea again. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them there. ¹⁴As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him. ¹⁵Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples. There were many who followed him. ¹⁶Some scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people. They asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹⁷Jesus heard this. He told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor. Sick people do. I have not come to call good people. I have come to call sinners."a ¹⁸John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So some people came and asked Jesus, "John's disciples fast, and so do the Pharisees' disciples. Why don't your disciples fast?" ¹⁹Jesus answered, "How can the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them? They can't fast as long as he is with them. ²⁰But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast. ²¹No one sews a patch of new cloth on old clothes. If he does, the new patch will shrink and pull away from the old cloth. Then the tear will get worse. ²²And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins. Then the wine and the skins will both be ruined. No, new wine is poured into new wineskins." ²³One Sabbath Jesus was walking through the grainfields. As his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. ²⁴So the Pharisees said to him, "Look! Why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?" ²⁵Jesus answered, "Haven't you ever read what David did? He and his men were hungry and in need. ²⁶It was when Abiathar was high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the holy bread. Only the priests were allowed to eat it. And David gave some to his men too." ²⁷Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for people. People were not made for the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."