A TEACHER WITH AUTHORITY
And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised
that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together,
insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as
about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto
him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when
they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the
roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the
bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he
said unto the sick of the palsy:
"Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in
their hearts:
"Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but
God only?"
And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so
reasoned within themselves, he said unto them:
"Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to
say to the sick of the palsy, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee;' or to say,
'Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?' But that ye may know that the
Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick
of the palsy,) I say unto thee, 'Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy
way into thine house.'"
And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them
all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying:
"We never saw it on this fashion."
And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted
unto him, and he taught them.
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the
receipt of custom, and said unto him:
"Follow me."
And he arose and followed him.
And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many
publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples:
for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and
Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his
disciples:
"How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them;
"They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are
sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they
come and say unto him:
"Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy
disciples fast not?"
And Jesus said unto them:
"Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is
with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot
fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away
from them, and then shall they fast in those days. No man also seweth
a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled
it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no man
putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the
bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but
new wine must be put into new bottles."
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the
sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears
of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him:
"Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?"
And he said unto them:
"Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an
hungered, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house
of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the
shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave
also to them which were with him?"
And he said unto them:
"The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore
the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."