Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
(Matthew 9.1-8Luke 5.17-26)1 A few days later Jesus went back to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many people came together that there was no room left, not even out in front of the door. Jesus was preaching the message to them 3 when four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. 4 Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him. So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat. 5 Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Some teachers of the Law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “How does he dare talk like this? This is blasphemy! God is the only one who can forgive sins!”
8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, “Why do you think such things? 9 Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
12 While they all watched, the man got up, picked up his mat, and hurried away. They were all completely amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
(Matthew 9.9-13Luke 5.27-32)13 Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A crowd came to him, and he started teaching them. 14 As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later on Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house. A large number of tax collectors and other outcasts was following Jesus, and many of them joined him and his disciples at the table. 16 Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such people?”
17 Jesus heard them and answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”
The Question about Fasting
(Matthew 9.14-17Luke 5.33-39)18 On one occasion the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and asked him, “Why is it that the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?”
19 Jesus answered, “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that. 20 But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
21 “No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear off some of the old cloth, making an even bigger hole. 22 Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, because the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”
The Question about the Sabbath
(Matthew 12.1-8Luke 6.1-5)23 Jesus was walking through some wheat fields on a Sabbath. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of wheat. 24 So the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, it is against our Law for your disciples to do that on the Sabbath!”
25 Jesus answered, “Have you never read what David did that time when he needed something to eat? He and his men were hungry, 26 so he went into the house of God and ate the bread offered to God. This happened when Abiathar was the High Priest. According to our Law only the priests may eat this bread—but David ate it and even gave it to his men.”
27 And Jesus concluded, “The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
1 After a fewe dayes, hee entred into Capernaum againe, and it was noysed that he was in the house. 2 And anon, many gathered together, in so much that the places about the doore coulde not receiue any more and he preached the word vnto them. 3 And there came vnto him, that brought one sicke of the palsie, borne of foure men. 4 And because they could not come neere vnto him for the multitude, they vncouered ye roofe of the house where hee was: and when they had broken it open, they let downe the bed, wherein the sicke of the palsie lay. 5 Nowe when Iesus sawe their faith, he saide to the sicke of the palsie, Sonne, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. 6 And there were certaine of the Scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doeth this man speake such blasphemies? who can forgiue sinnes, but God onely? 8 And immediatly when Iesus perceiued in his spirite, that thus they reasoned with themselues, he sayde vnto them, Why reason yee these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sicke of the palsie, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee? or to say, Arise, and take vp thy bed, and walke? 10 But that ye may knowe, that the Sonne of man hath authoritie in earth to forgiue sinnes, (he sayde vnto the sicke of the palsie.) 11 I say vnto thee, Arise and take vp thy bed, and get thee hence into thine owne house. 12 And by and by he arose, and tooke vp his bed, and went foorth before them all, in so much that they were all amased, and glorified God, saying, We neuer sawe such a thing. 13 Then he went foorth againe towarde the sea, and all the people resorted vnto him, and he taught them. 14 And as Iesus passed by, hee sawe Leui the sonne of Alpheus sit at the receit of custome, and said vnto him, Folowe me. And he arose and followed him. 15 And it came to passe, as Iesus sate at table in his house, many Publicanes and sinners sate at table also with Iesus, and his disciples: for there were many that followed him. 16 And when the Scribes and Pharises sawe him eate with the Publicanes and sinners, they sayd vnto his disciples, Howe is it, that hee eateth and drinketh with Publicanes and sinners? 17 Now when Iesus heard it, hee sayde vnto them, The whole haue no neede of the Physicion, but the sicke. I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance. 18 And the disciples of Iohn, and the Pharises did fast, and came and saide vnto him, Why doe the disciples of Iohn, and of the Pharises fast, and thy disciples fast not? 19 And Iesus saide vnto them, Can the children of the marriage chamber fast, whiles the bridegrome is with them? as long as they haue the bridegrome with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the daies will come, when the bridegrome shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those daies. 21 Also no man soweth a piece of newe cloth in an olde garment: for els the newe piece that filled it vp, taketh away somewhat from the olde, and the breach is worse. 22 Likewise, no man putteth newe wine into old vessels: for els the new wine breaketh the vessels, and the wine runneth out, and the vessels are lost: but newe wine must be put into new vessels. 23 And it came to passe as hee went through the corne on the Sabbath day, that his disciples, as they went on their way, began to plucke the eares of corne. 24 And the Pharises saide vnto him, Beholde, why doe they on the Sabbath day, that which is not lawfull? 25 And he saide to them, Haue yee neuer read what Dauid did when he had neede, and was an hungred, both he, and they that were with him? 26 Howe he went into the house of God, in the daies of Abiathar the hie Priest, and did eat the shewe bread, which were not lawfull to eate, but for the Priests, and gaue also to them which were with him? 27 And hee sayde to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Wherefore the Sonne of man is Lord, euen of the Sabbath.