2. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them.
3. Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men.
4. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
5. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6. But some of the scribes were sitting there, thinking to themselves:
7. “Why does He speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? ”
8. Right away Jesus understood in His spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
9. Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’?
10. But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He told the paralytic,
11. “I tell you: get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
12. Immediately he got up, picked up the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this! ”
13. Then Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to Him, and He taught them.
14. Then, moving on, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me! ” So he got up and followed Him.
15. While He was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also guests with Jesus and His disciples, because there were many who were following Him.