Luke 5:10-28

¹⁰This included James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid, because from now on you will catch men.”

¹¹When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

¹²It came about that while he was in one of the cities, a man full of leprosy was there. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³Then Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴He instructed him to tell no one, but told him, “Go on your way, and show yourself to the priest and offer a sacrifice for your cleansing, according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

¹⁵But the report about him spread even farther, and large crowds of people came together to hear him teach and to be healed of their sicknesses.

¹⁶But he often withdrew into the deserted places and prayed.

¹⁷It came about on one of those days that he was teaching, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there who had come from many different villages in the regions of Galilee and Judea, and also from the town of Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal.

¹⁸Now some men came, carrying on a mat a man that was paralyzed, and they looked for a way to bring him inside in order to lay him down in front of Jesus.

¹⁹They could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, so they went up to the housetop and let the man down through the tiles, on his mat, into the midst of the people, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰Seeing their faith, Jesus said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

²¹The scribes and the Pharisees began to question this, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²²But Jesus, perceiving what they were thinking, answered and said to them, “Why are you questioning this in your hearts?

²³Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' or to say 'Get up and walk?'

²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralysed man—”I tell you, get up, pick up your mat and go to your house.”

²⁵Immediately he got up in front of them and picked up the mat on which he was lying. Then he went away to his house, glorifying God.

²⁶Everyone was amazed and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

²⁷After these things happened, Jesus went out from there and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's tent. He said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁸So Levi got up and followed him, leaving everything behind.