Mark 2

²So many people crowded into the house that there was no room left — not even by the door! And Jesus taught them God's Word.

³Four friends arrived, carrying their friend on a mat. He couldn't walk — and they were going to get him to Jesus no matter what.

⁴The crowd was too thick — they couldn't get inside. So they climbed up to the roof, dug a hole through it, and lowered their friend right down in front of Jesus!

⁵Jesus saw their faith — all five of them — and said to the sick man: 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'

⁶But some teachers of the law were sitting there, and they were thinking hard — and not in a good way.

⁷They thought: 'How can this man say such a terrible thing? Only God can forgive sins!'

⁸Right away, Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking in their hearts. He said: 'Why are you arguing with yourselves about this?'

⁹Jesus asked them: 'Which is harder to say — "your sins are forgiven" or "get up and walk"?'

¹⁰Then Jesus said: 'I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority right here on earth to forgive sins.' And He turned to the man on the mat—

¹¹Jesus commanded: 'I tell you — get up! Pick up your mat and go home!'

¹²And right away the man jumped up, rolled up his mat, and walked out in front of everyone! They were all amazed and praised God, saying: 'We have never seen anything like this!'

¹³Jesus went out again to the lake. Crowds came to Him from every direction, and He taught them.

¹⁴As Jesus walked along, He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax booth. Jesus looked at him and said: 'Follow Me.' And Levi got up and followed Him.

¹⁵Later, Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and people known as sinners were eating there too — because they had started following Jesus.

¹⁶But the Pharisees and teachers of the law saw this and said to Jesus' disciples: 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'

¹⁷Jesus said: 'Healthy people don't need a doctor — sick people do. I didn't come for people who think they're fine. I came for everyone who knows they need Me.'

¹⁸Some people asked Jesus: 'John's followers fast, the Pharisees' followers fast — so why don't Your disciples fast?'

¹⁹Jesus answered: 'You don't stop eating and celebrating at a wedding while the groom is still there, do you? While I am with them, it is a time for joy!'

²⁰Jesus added: 'But the time will come when the groom is taken away. Then it will be right for them to fast.'

²¹Jesus said: 'You don't sew a brand-new patch onto an old worn coat — because when it shrinks, it will tear a bigger hole.'

²²Jesus said: 'And you don't pour fresh new wine into old cracked wineskins. The new wine will burst them, and you'll lose everything. New wine needs new wineskins!'

²³One Sabbath day, Jesus and His disciples were walking through some grain fields. As they walked, the disciples started picking heads of grain to eat.

²⁴The Pharisees saw them and said: 'Look! Why are Your disciples doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?'

²⁵Jesus answered: 'Haven't you ever read what King David did when he and his men were hungry?'

²⁶David went into God's house when Abiathar was the high priest and ate the special bread that was only supposed to be for priests — and gave some to his men too.

²⁷Jesus told them: 'The Sabbath day was made to be a gift for people — people were not made to serve the Sabbath!'

²⁸Jesus concluded: 'And so the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath day too.'