Read full passage
2:3
Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men.
2:4
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.
2:5
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
2:6
But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts,
2:7
“Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
2:8
At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked.
2:9
“Which is easier: to say to a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
2:10
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic,
2:11
“I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
2:12
And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, they were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
2:13
Once again Jesus went out beside the sea. All the people came to Him, and He taught them there.
2:14
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.
2:15
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.
2:16
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?”
2:17
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.”