Aa
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
1When2:1–12 Mt 9:1–8; Lk 5:17–26 he entered Capernaum2:1 Lk 10:15 again after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
2So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word2:2 Mk 4:14; Jn 18:32 to them.
3They came to him bringing a paralytic,2:3 Mt 4:24; 8:6; 9:2,6; Mk 2:3–10 carried by four of them.
4Since they were not able to bring him to2:4 Other mss read able to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
5Seeing their faith,2:5 Mt 8:10; Ac 3:16; Rm 1:8; 1Co 2:5; Gl 2:16; 1Tm 1:2; Heb 4:2 Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins2:5 Jn 15:22 are forgiven.”2:5 Mt 9:2,5; Lk 5:20,23; 7:48
6But some of the scribes2:6 Mt 2:4 were sitting there, questioning2:6 Mk 9:33 in their hearts:
7“Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming!2:7 Ex 22:28; Mk 3:29; Rv 13:6 Who can forgive2:7 Ps 25:11; Mt 9:2 sins2:7 Jn 15:22 but God alone?” 2:7 Ex 34:6–7; Is 43:25; 44:2
8Right away2:8 Mk 10:52 Jesus perceived in his spirit2:8 Lk 5:22; 16:15; Jn 2:25 that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
9Which is easier:2:9 Lk 16:17; 18:25 to say to the paralytic,2:9 Mk 2:3 ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?2:9 Mt 11:5
10But so that you may know that the Son of Man2:10 Ps 8:4; Lk 5:24; Ac 7:56 has authority2:10 Mt 28:18; Mk 1:22 on earth to forgive sins”2:10 Jn 15:22 — he told the paralytic —
11“I tell you: get up,2:11 Mk 5:41 take your mat, and go home.”
12Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded2:12 Ac 10:45 and gave glory2:12 Jn 11:4; 17:1; 1Pt 2:12 to God,2:12 Lk 2:14 saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” 2:12 Mt 9:33
The Call of Levi
13Jesus2:13–17 Mt 9:9–13; Lk 5:27–32 went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching2:13 Mt 28:20; Ac 4:2; 2Tm 4:11 them.
14Then, passing by, he saw Levi2:14 Lk 5:27,29 the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office,2:14 Lk 5:27 and he said to him, “Follow me,”2:14 Lk 5:27 and he got up and followed2:14 Lk 5:11; Jn 8:12 him.
15While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors2:15 Lk 3:12; 18:13 and sinners2:15 Mt 9:10; 1Tm 1:15 were eating2:15 Lit reclining together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.
16When the scribes2:16 Mt 2:4 who were Pharisees2:16 Other mss read scribes and Pharisees2:16 Mk 7:3 saw that he was eating2:16 Mt 11:18 with sinners2:16 1Tm 1:15 and tax collectors,2:16 Lk 3:12 they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat2:16 Other mss add and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
17When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need2:17 Mt 6:8 a doctor,2:17 Col 4:14 but those who are sick.2:17 Lk 5:31 I didn’t come to call the righteous,2:17 Mt 13:17; Rm 1:17 but sinners.”2:17 Lk 5:32
A Question about Fasting
18Now2:18–22 Mt 9:14–17; Lk 5:33–39 John’s2:18 Mk 1:4 disciples2:18 Jn 3:25 and the Pharisees2:18 Other mss read The disciples of John and of the Pharisees2:18 Mk 7:3 were fasting.2:18 Lk 18:12; Ac 13:2 People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
19Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom2:19 Jn 2:9 is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
20But the time2:20 Or the days will come2:20 Mk 13:24 when the groom will be taken away from them,2:20 Lk 17:22; Jn 16:16–20 and then they will fast2:20 Lk 18:12 on that day.
21No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth,2:21 Lk 19:36 and a worse tear is made.
22And no one puts new wine2:22 Lk 5:37 into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst2:22 Jn 6:27 the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins.”
Lord of the Sabbath
23On2:23–28 Mt 12:1–8; Lk 6:1–5 the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples2:23 Mk 10:10 began to make their way, picking some heads of grain.
24The Pharisees2:24 Mk 7:3 said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful2:24 Lk 6:2 on the Sabbath?”
25He said to them, “Have you never read what David2:25 Lk 1:27 and those who were with him did when he was in need2:25 Ac 2:45 and hungry2:25 Rv 7:16 — 
26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar2:26 1Sm 21:1–6 the high priest2:26 Lv 16:32 and ate the bread of the Presence2:26 Ex 25:30 — which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests2:26 Ac 4:1 — and also gave some to his companions?”
27Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for2:27 Or because of man and not man for the Sabbath.2:27 Col 2:16
28So then, the Son of Man2:28 Mk 2:10 is Lord2:28 Rm 7:25; 1Co 8:6; Col 3:22 even of the Sabbath.”2:28 Lk 6:5