2After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home.G2532G3825G1525G1519G2584G1223G2250G2532G191G3754G2076G1519G36242A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word.G2532G2112G4183G4863G5620G5562G3371G5562G3366G4314G2374G2532G2980G3056G8463They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men.G2532G2064G4314G846G5342G3885G142G5259G50644When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.G2532G1410G3361G4331G846G1223G3793G648G4721G3699G2258G2532G1846G5465G2895G1909G3739G3885G26215Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins."G1161G2424G1492G846G4102G3004G3885G5043G4675G266G863G46716Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves,G1161G2258G5100G1122G2521G1563G2532G1260G1722G846G25887"He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins."G5101G2980G3778G3779G2980G988G5101G1410G863G266G1508G2316G15208Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical?G2532G2112G2424G1921G846G4151G3754G3779G1260G1722G1438G2036G846G5101G1260G5023G1722G5216G25889Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, 'I forgive your sins,' or say, 'Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'?G5101G2076G2123G2036G3885G266G863G4671G2228G2036G1453G2532G142G4675G2895G2532G404310Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . ." (he looked now at the paraplegic),G1161G2443G1492G3754G5207G444G2192G1849G1909G1093G863G266G3004G388511"Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."G3004G4671G1453G2532G142G4675G2895G2532G5217G1519G4675G362412And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!"G2532G2112G1453G142G2895G2532G1831G1726G3956G5620G1839G3956G1839G2532G1392G2316G3004G3754G1492G3763G1492G377913Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them.G2532G1831G3825G3844G2281G2532G3956G3793G2064G4314G846G2532G1321G84614Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came.G2532G3855G1492G3018G256G2521G1909G5058G2532G3004G846G190G3427G2532G450G190G84615Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers.G2532G1096G1722G846G2621G1722G846G3614G4183G5057G2532G268G4873G2532G4873G2424G2532G846G3101G1063G2258G4183G2532G190G84616The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riff-raff?"G2532G1122G2532G5330G1492G846G2068G3326G5057G2532G268G3004G846G3101G5101G3754G2068G2532G4095G3326G5057G2532G26817Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."G2532G2424G191G3004G846G2480G2192G3756G5532G2395G235G2192G2560G2064G3756G2564G1342G235G268G1519G334118The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: "Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don't?"G2532G3101G2491G2532G5330G2258G3522G2532G2064G2532G3004G846G1302G3522G3101G2491G2532G5330G3522G1161G4674G3101G3522G375619Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!"G2532G2424G2036G846G3361G1410G5207G3567G3522G1722G3739G3566G2076G3326G846G3745G5550G2192G3566G3326G1438G3756G1410G352220(SEE 2:19)G1161G2250G2064G3752G3566G522G575G846G2532G5119G3522G1722G1565G225021He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match.G3762G2532G1976G1915G46G4470G1909G3820G2440G1490G2537G4138G142G846G3820G2532G4978G1096G550122And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles."G2532G3762G906G3501G3631G1519G3820G779G1490G3501G3631G4486G779G2532G3631G1632G2532G779G622G235G3501G3631G992G1519G2537G77923One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain.G2532G1096G846G3899G1223G4702G1722G4521G2532G846G3101G756G3598G4160G5089G471924As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: "Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!"G2532G5330G3004G846G2396G5101G4160G1722G4521G3739G1832G3756G183225Jesus said, "Really? Haven't you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him?G2532G846G3004G846G3763G314G5101G1138G4160G3753G2192G5532G2532G3983G846G2532G3326G84626How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?"G4459G1525G1519G3624G2316G1909G8G749G2532G5315G740G4286G3739G1832G3756G1832G5315G1508G2409G2532G1325G2532G5607G4862G84627Then Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve the Sabbath.G2532G3004G846G4521G1096G1223G444G3756G444G1223G452128The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He's in charge!"G5620G5207G444G2076G2962G2532G4521
The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
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