11
When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
12
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean."
13
Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him.
14
And he ordered him to tell no one. "Go," he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them."
15
But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.
16
But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
17
One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
18
Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;
19
but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus.
20
When he saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."
21
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, "Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"