Mark 2
2
A Paraplegic
1-5After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
6-7Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”
8-12Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . .” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.” And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, stunned—and then praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
The Tax Collector
13-14Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” He came.
15-16Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the misfits?”
17Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”
Feasting or Fasting?
18The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: “Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don’t?”
19-20Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”
21-22He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”
23-24One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: “Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!”
25-28Jesus said, “Really? Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?” Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no yes-man to the Sabbath. He’s in charge!”
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Mark 2: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Mark 2
2
1And he entered again into Capernaum after several days, and it was reported that he was at the house; 2and straightway many were gathered together, so that there was no longer any room, not even at the door; and he spoke the word to them. 3And there come to him men bringing a paralytic, borne by four; 4and, not being able to get near to him on account of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was, and having dug it up they let down the couch on which the paralytic lay. 5But Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic, Child, thy sins are forgiven thee. 6But certain of the scribes were there sitting, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why does this man thus speak? he blasphemes. Who is able to forgive sins except God alone? 8And straightway Jesus, knowing in his spirit that they are reasoning thus within themselves, said to them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy couch and walk? 10But that ye may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, he says to the paralytic, 11To thee I say, Arise, take up thy couch and go to thine house. 12And he rose up straightway, and, having taken up his couch, went out before them all, so that all were amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it thus.
13And he went out again by the sea, and all the crowd came to him, and he taught them. 14And passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-office, and says to him, Follow me. And he rose up and followed him. 15And it came to pass as he lay at table in his house, that many tax-gatherers and sinners lay at table with Jesus and his disciples; for they were many, and they followed him. 16And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing him eating with sinners and tax-gatherers, said to his disciples, Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax-gatherers and sinners? 17And Jesus having heard it says to them, They that are strong have not need of a physician, but those who are ill. I have not come to call righteous men, but sinners.
18And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20But days will come when the bridegroom shall have been taken away from them, and then shall they fast in that day. 21No one sews a patch of new cloth on an old garment: otherwise its new filling-up takes from the old stuff, and there is a worse rent. 22And no one puts new wine into old skins; otherwise the wine bursts the skins, and the wine is poured out, and the skins will be destroyed; but new wine is to be put into new skins. 23And it came to pass that he went on the sabbath through the cornfields; and his disciples began to walk on, plucking the ears. 24And the Pharisees said to him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath what is not lawful? 25And he said to them, Have ye never read what David did when he had need and hungered, he and those with him, 26how he entered into the house of God, in the section of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the shew-bread, which it is not lawful unless for the priests to eat, and gave even to those that were with him? 27And he said to them, The sabbath was made on account of man, not man on account of the sabbath; 28so that the Son of man is lord of the sabbath also.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.