15. News of him spread even more and huge crowds gathered to listen and to be healed from their illnesses.
16. But Jesus would withdraw to deserted places for prayer.
17. One day when Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and legal experts were sitting nearby. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Now the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal.
18. Some men were bringing a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. They wanted to carry him in and place him before Jesus,
19. but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they took him up on the roof and lowered him—cot and all—through the roof tiles into the crowded room in front of Jesus.
20. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
21. The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, "Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!"
22. Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, "Why do you fill your minds with these questions?
23. Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24. But so that you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins" —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home."
25. Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God.
26. All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, "We’ve seen unimaginable things today."
27. Afterward, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
28. Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed him.
29. Then Levi threw a great banquet for Jesus in his home. A large number of tax collectors and others sat down to eat with them.
30. The Pharisees and their legal experts grumbled against his disciples. They said, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
31. Jesus answered, "Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do.
32. I didn’t come to call righteous people but sinners to change their hearts and lives."