Luke 5:17-34

¹⁷One day when Jesus was teaching, some men from the Pharisee sect were sitting there. Some of them were men who taught the Jewish laws. They had come from many HYP villages in Galilee district and also from Jerusalem and from other villages in Judea district. At that time while God was giving Jesus power to heal people,

¹⁸several men brought on a sleeping pad a man who was paralyzed. They wanted to bring him into the house and lay him in front of Jesus.

¹⁹But there was no way to do that because of the large crowd of people, so they went up the steps onto the roof. They tied ropes onto the sleeping pad and, after removing some of the tiles on the roof, they lowered the man on the sleeping pad. They lowered him through the opening into the midst of the crowd in front of Jesus.

²⁰When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the man, he said to him, “My friend, I forgive your sins!”

²¹The men who taught the Jewish laws and the rest of the Pharisees began to think within themselves, “Who does this man think he is, saying that? He is insulting God! ◄Nobody can forgive sins!/What person can forgive sins?► RHQ Only God can do that!”

²²Jesus perceived what they were thinking. So he said to them, “◄You should not think that way about what I said!/Why do you question within yourselves about what I said?► RHQ Consider this:

²³It would not be risky for someone to say to this man, ‘ I forgive your sins,’ because no one could see whether or not his sins were really forgiven. But no one RHQ, without having the power to heal, would say to him, ‘Get up and walk!’ because people could easily see whether he was healed or not.

²⁴But as a result of my healing this man you (pl) will know that God has authorized me, the one who came from heaven, to forgive the sins of people while I am on the earth, as well as to heal people.” Then he said to the man who was paralyzed, “To you I say, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!’ ”

²⁵Immediately the man was healed . He stood up in front of them. He picked up the sleeping pad on which he had been lying, and went home, praising God.

²⁶All the people there were amazed! They praised God and were completely awestruck. They kept saying, “We (inc) have seen wonderful things today!”

²⁷Then Jesus left the town and saw a man who collected taxes for the Roman government. His name was Levi. He was sitting in the booth where he collected the taxes. Jesus said to him, “Come with me and become my disciple!”

²⁸So Levi left his work HYP and went with Jesus.

²⁹Afterwards, Levi prepared a big feast in his own house for Jesus and his disciples. There was a large group of tax collectors and others eating together with them.

³⁰The men who were there who taught the Jewish laws, ones who belonged to the Pharisee sect, complained to Jesus' disciples, saying, “◄ It is disgusting that you are eating with tax collectors and others who we(exc) consider to be sinners!/Why are you eating with tax collectors and others who we(exc) consider to be sinners?►” RHQ

³¹Then, to indicate that it was those who knew that they had sinned who were coming to him for help, Jesus said to them, “ It is people who are sick who need a doctor, not those who are well MET.

³²Similarly, I did not come from heaven to invite those who think they are righteous to come to me. On the contrary, I came to invite those who know that they are sinners to turn from their sinful behavior and come to me.”

³³Those Jewish leaders said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptizer often abstain from food to show that they want to please God, and the disciples of the Pharisees do that, too. But your disciples keep on eating and drinking! Why do not they fast like the others?”

³⁴To show them that it was not appropriate for his disciples to be sad and abstain from food while he was still with them MET, Jesus said to them, “When ◄the bridegroom/man who is getting married► is with his friends at the time of the wedding, you certainly do not make his friends abstain from food, do you RHQ? No, you do not do that.