The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
2
Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven."
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At this, some of the scribes said among themselves, "He's blaspheming!"
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But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
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For which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?
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But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -then He told the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
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And he got up and went home.
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When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.
The Call of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" So he got up and followed Him.
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While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples.
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When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
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But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do.
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Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."
A Question about Fasting
14 Then John's disciples came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"
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Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests be sad while the groom is with them? The days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
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No one patches an old garment with unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment and makes the tear worse.
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And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."