Mar 2 | BSB | STEP | [A few] days later, [Jesus] went back to Capernaum. And when [the people] heard He was home,

‏ Mark 2

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

1 [A few] days later, [Jesus] went back to Capernaum. And when [the people] heard He was home, 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. 3 Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four [men] . 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. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and contemplating in their hearts, 7 “Why {does} this [man] speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 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. 9 “Which is easier: to say to a paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, 11 “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” 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, “vvv We have never seen anything like this!”

The Calling of Levi

13 [Once] again [Jesus] went out beside the sea. All the people came to Him, and He taught them [there] . 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. 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. 16 When the scribes who [were] Pharisees saw [Jesus] eating with [these people] , they asked His disciples, “Why {does} He eat ^{▼▼BYZ and TR include and drink} with tax collectors and sinners?” 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.”

Questions about Fasting

18 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?” 19 Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while [He] is with them? As long as [He is] with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

The Patches and the Wineskins

21 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. 22 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.” ^{▼▼Tischendorf and some other texts do not include Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins}

The Lord of the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath [Jesus] was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain [as] they walked along. 24 [So] the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 [Jesus] replied, “vvv Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 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.” 27 Then [Jesus] declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”