CHAPTER 2
they gathered
in such large numbers
that there was
no more
room,
not even
outside
the
door,
as Jesus spoke
the
word
to them.
Since
they were unable
to get to
Jesus
through
the
crowd,
they uncovered
the
roof
above Him,
made an opening,
and lowered
the
paralytic
on
his
mat.
At once
Jesus
knew
in
His
spirit
that
they were considering
this
within
themselves.
“Why
do you question
these things
in
your
hearts?”
He asked.
“Which
is
easier:
to say
to a paralyzed man,
‘Your
sins
are forgiven,’
or
to say,
‘Get up,
pick up
your
mat,
and
walk’?
But
so that
you may know
that
the
Son
of Man
has
authority
on
earth
to forgive
sins...”
He said
to the
paralytic,
And
immediately
the man got up,
picked up
his
mat,
and walked out
in front of
them all.
As a result,
everyone
was amazed
and
glorified
God,
saying,
“We have never seen
anything like this!”
As He was walking along,
He saw
Levi
son
of Alphaeus
sitting
at
the
tax booth.
“Follow
Me,”
He told
him,
and
Levi got up
and followed
Him.
While
Jesus
was dining
at
Levi’s
house,
many
tax collectors
and
sinners
were eating with
Him
and
His
disciples—
for
there were
many
who followed
Him.
When
the
scribes
who were
Pharisees
saw
Jesus
eating
with
these people,
they asked
His
disciples,
“Why does
He eat
with
tax collectors
and
sinners?”
On
hearing this,
Jesus
told
them,
“It is not
the
healthy
who
need
a doctor,
but
the
sick.
I have not come
to call
the righteous,
but
sinners.”
Now
John’s
disciples
and
the
Pharisees
were often
fasting.
So
people came
to Jesus
and
asked,
“Why
don’t
Your
disciples
fast like
John’s
disciples
and
those
of the
Pharisees?"
Jesus
answered,
“Can
the
guests
of the
bridegroom
fast
while
He
is
with
them?
As long as
He is
with
them,
they cannot
fast.
No one
sews
a patch
of unshrunk
cloth
on
an old
garment.
If he does,
the
new piece
will pull away
from
the old,
and
a worse
tear
will result.
And
no one
pours
new
wine
into
old
wineskins.
If he does,
the
wine
will burst
the
skins,
and both
the
wine
and
the
wineskins
will be ruined.
Instead,
new
wine is poured
into
new
wineskins."
One
Sabbath
Jesus
was going
through
the
grainfields,
and
His
disciples
began
to pick
the
heads of grain
as they walked along.
But
Jesus replied,
“Have you never read
what
David
did
when
he
and
his companions
were hungry
and
in need?
During
the high priesthood
of Abiathar,
he entered
the
house
of God
and
ate
the
consecrated bread,
which
was lawful
only
for the
priests.
And
he gave some
to his companions
as well.”