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 stretcher 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 reasoning like this within themselves and said to them, "Why are you reasoning 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 stretcher, 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 stretcher, and go home."
12
Immediately he got up, picked up the stretcher, 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!"
The Call of Matthew
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.