Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

After some days, Jesus entered again into Capernaum, where it was widely known that he was staying in a house. Many people were gathered together, trying to get near him. They brought on a stretcher a man who had been paralyzed for a long time and had been carried by four men. Since they couldn't get near Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where he was and let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Certain scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts why Jesus spoke with such authority, since only God can forgive sins. "Why does this man speak blasphemies," they thought, "who claims to be able to forgive sins but only God alone can?" Jesus immediately sensed that they were thinking these things and said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? I want to ask you a question: is it easier to say to someone who's paralyzed, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to tell them, 'Get up, take your mat, and walk'?"

Jesus then said, "I'm telling you, get up and take your bed, and go into your house." And immediately the man arose, took up his bed, and went out before them all. The crowd was amazed, giving glory to God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!" Jesus left Capernaum again by the sea and a large crowd gathered around him as he taught them.

As he walked along, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at his post collecting taxes. He called out to Levi, "Follow me." And Levi got up and followed Jesus. Then Jesus sat down with his disciples in his home, where many tax collectors and sinners were also gathered because they had heard about him and wanted to meet him.

When the scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus eating with publicans and sinners, they asked his disciples, "How can he eat and drink with such people?" When Jesus heard this, he said, "Those who are healthy don't need a doctor; those who are sick do. I didn't come to call the righteous but rather the sinners to repentance."

John's followers and the Pharisees used to fast, so they came to Jesus and asked him why his disciples weren't fasting like theirs. Jesus said to them, "Would you have the groom's friends fast while he is with them? As long as the bridegroom is present, they can't fast." But then Jesus added, "The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and in those days they will fast."

He used an illustration to explain his point. "No one sews new cloth onto old clothes," he said, "or else the patch would pull away from the old fabric, making things worse." And he added, "You can't put new wine into old containers; if you do, it will burst the containers and spill, ruining them. But new wine has to be poured into fresh containers."

Jesus continued his journey through the grainfields on a Sabbath day, and as they walked, his disciples began plucking the ears of corn to eat. The Pharisees saw this and scolded Jesus for allowing it: "Look, why are they doing something that's not allowed on the Sabbath?" Jesus responded by pointing out an example from Scripture: when David was hungry and in need, he and those with him went into the house of God to eat the sacred bread. This bread was only meant for priests, but David had eaten it.

Jesus then concluded, "The Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath." He continued by saying, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath," claiming authority over the day of rest itself.