2At once so many people gathered together that there was no room for them, not even around the door. And he preached the word to them.
3Some men came to him, bringing a man who was paralysed. Four men carried him.
4They could not get near Jesus because of the crowd. So they opened up the roof above him. When they had made a hole in it, they let down the bed that the paralysed man was lying on.
5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking in their hearts,
7"Why does this man speak such blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8At once Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking among themselves. He said to them, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?"
9"Which is easier: to say to the paralysed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, pick up your bed, and walk'?"
10"But so that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the paralysed man -
11"I say to you, get up, pick up your bed, and go home."
12At once the man got up, picked up the bed, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and gave glory to God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."
13Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them.
14As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. He said to him, "Follow me." And Levi got up and followed him.
15Then, as Jesus sat eating in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples. For there were many of them, and they followed him.
16When the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
17When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but sick people do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repent."
18The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees used to fast. Some people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
19Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast."
20"But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then, in those days, they will fast."
21"No one sews a piece of new cloth onto an old coat. If he does, the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse."
22"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine bursts the skins, the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins."
23Then Jesus went through the corn fields on the sabbath day. As they walked, his disciples began to pick the ears of corn.
24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath day?"
25He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and the men who were with him?"
26"He went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest and ate the showbread, which only the priests are allowed to eat. And he gave some to the men who were with him."
27And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."
28"So the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath."