6. But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—"Get up, take your cot, and go home."
7. The man got up and went home.
8. When the crowds saw what had happened, they were afraid and praised God, who had given such authority to human beings.
9. As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, "Follow me," and he got up and followed him.
10. As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.
11. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
12. When Jesus heard it, he said, "Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do.
13. Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners."
14. At that time John’s disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees frequently fast, but your disciples never fast?"
15. Jesus responded, “The wedding guests can’t mourn while the groom is still with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they’ll fast.