Jesus heals a paralytic who was let down from the roof

1. Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven." 3. "Blasphemy! This man talks like he is God!" some of the teachers of religious law said among themselves. 4. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why are you thinking such evil thoughts? 5. Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Get up and walk'? 6. I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!" 7. And the man jumped up and went home! 8. Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen right before their eyes. They praised God for sending a man with such great authority.

1. Several days later Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the news of his arrival spread quickly through the town. 2. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there wasn't room for one more person, not even outside the door. And he preached the word to them. 3. Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4. They couldn't get to Jesus through the crowd, so they dug through the clay roof above his head. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven." 6. But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there said to themselves, 7. "What? This is blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins!" 8. Jesus knew what they were discussing among themselves, so he said to them, "Why do you think this is blasphemy? 9. Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Get up, pick up your mat, and walk'? 10. I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11. "Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!" 12. The man jumped up, took the mat, and pushed his way through the stunned onlookers. Then they all praised God. "We've never seen anything like this before!" they exclaimed.

17. One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus. 18. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to push through the crowd to Jesus, 19. but they couldn't reach him. So they went up to the roof, took off some tiles, and lowered the sick man down into the crowd, still on his mat, right in front of Jesus. 20. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 21. "Who does this man think he is?" the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to each other. "This is blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins?" 22. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you think this is blasphemy? 23. Is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Get up and walk'? 24. I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!" 25. And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped to his feet, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe. And they praised God, saying over and over again, "We have seen amazing things today."