Mark 2
1 After Jesus went back into Capernaum some days later, it was heard that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered that it was no longer possible to make room, not even by the door, and he discussed the messagea with them. 3 People came who were bringing a person who was paralyzed to him, four people carrying him. 4 Since they weren’t able to bring him because of the crowd, they demolished the roofb where Jesus was, and after digging through it, they lowered the cot on which the person who was paralyzed was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their trustful faithfulness,c he said to the person who was paralyzed, “Child, your deviations are dismissed.”d
6 Some of the Bible scholars were sitting there and talking it over in their minds:e 7 “Why does this person speak that way? He is being disrespectful!f Who is able to dismiss deviations except God alone?”
8 Jesus, knowing straightaway with his life-breath that they were talking it over this way withing themselves, said to them, “Why are you talking over these things in your minds? 9 Which is easier, to say to the person who is paralyzed, ‘Your deviations are dismissed,’ or to say, ‘Get up and take your cot and walk’? 10 But so that you may understand that the Son of Humanity has authority to dismiss deviations in the land—"h then he said to the person who was paralyzed, 11 “—To you, I say, ‘Get up, take your cot, and go home!’” 12 He got up, straightaway taking his cot, and went out in front of everyone so that everyone was amazed and praised God, saying “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
13 Jesus went out again by the sea, and the whole crowd went with him, and he taught them. 14 Passing by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” Standing up,i he followed him.
15 It came to be that Jesusj was recliningk in Levi’sl home, and many tax collectors and people who deviatedm were reclining together with Jesus and his students.n You see, many people were there and were following him.
16 When the Bible scholars among the Pharisees saw him eating with people who deviated and tax collectors, they said to his students, “Why is he eating with tax collectors and deviators?”
17 Hearing it, Jesus said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a doctor, but those who are sick do. I didn’t come to call people who are just but, rather, people who deviate.”
18 John’s students and the Pharisees would fast regularly,o and they came and said to Jesus, “Why is it that John’s students and the Pharisee’s students fast, but your students don’t fast?”
19 “The groom’s wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they?” Jesus answered. “As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. 20 However, days are coming when the groom will be taken from them, and then that is when they will fast. 21 No one sews an unshrunk patch of cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. 22 Also, no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine bursts the wineskin, and the wine and the wineskin are ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”
23 It came to be that Jesusp was traveling through the edges of the crop fields,q and his students began to make their way while picking the heads of wheat. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look! Why are they doing what is not permitted on Shabbat?”r
25 “Have you never read,” he said to them, “what David did when had the need and he and those with him were hungry— 26 how he went into the house of Gods when Abiathar was high priest, and he ate the Bread of the Presence,t which is not permitted to eat except for the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”u 27 Then he continued, “Shabbat came into being for the sake of humanity and not humanity for the sake of Shabbat. 28 In that case, the Son of Humanityv is lord even of Shabbat.”
FOOTNOTES:
a Or ‘spoke the thing-that-was-said.’ The word logos has several uses, including anything spoken—a word, a sentence, or a whole conversation. See the footnote in John 1:1 for more information.
b Literally, ‘de-roofed the roof’
c Traditionally, ‘faith.’ The Greek word pistis carries a reciprocal relationship between the concepts of trust and following through on a commitment based on that trust. The full meaning is difficult to capture in one English word. Sometimes, the concept of ‘trust’ seems to be the most prominent part, other times ‘commitment’ and other times ‘faithfulness’ or ‘allegiance.’ ‘Trustful faithfulness’ is used here, but it should be understood that these other meanings are all in the background, informing what kind of faithfulness is in view.
d Traditionally, ‘forgiven.’ This is the same word used in Matthew 5 for wives out of the home and in Matthew six for releasing claim to debt owed. It carries the idea of sending away or releasing. ‘Dismissed’ here seems to capture a faithful rendering of the word along with the effect of disregarding the past and invalidating any potential future claim for recompense as barriers to full inclusion in the sacred community.
e Literally, ‘hearts,’ but in English, ‘hearts’ designates the center of emotion, which is not what is in view here.
f Traditionally, ‘this man is blaspheming’ from the Greek verb blasphemeo. The Greek word means something like ‘slander’ or ‘defame’ or ‘belittle.’ The ‘belittle’ meaning seems to be in view since he did not say anything against God or anyone else. Possibly they see him dismissing their understanding of purity codes and sin as belittling God’s instruction and therefore, belittling God. Or perhaps they see him as doing something only God can do and, therefore, belittling God by not taking it seriously enough.
g Or ‘among’
h Or ‘on the earth’
i This is related to the word for ‘awakening’ or ‘resurrection’
j The name is not present in the Greek but is added for clarity.
k This indicates he was sharing a meal, since the custom was to recline at a low table without chairs to eat.
l The name is not present in the Greek but is added for clarity.
m Traditionally, ‘sinners.’ It’s worth noting that the Greek word hamartolos is an adjective, not a noun. So it would be something more like ‘characterized by deviation.’ Adjectives are often used without an accompanying noun in Greek, e.g. ‘the poor’ or ‘the blind.’ The word ‘people’ or ‘person’ is implied.
n Traditionally, ‘disciples’
o This word is a participle, describing the people with an action. They are people characterized by fasting. It is not an indicative verb indicating what they were doing at the time.
p The name is not present in the Greek but is added for clarity.
q Compare with Leviticus 19:9-10
r Possibly a reference to Exodus 20:8-11 and 34:21 and others
s “House of God” was a common way to refer to the temple or, in this case, the Tabernacle, which was when the building for worship was in a tent, prior to the construction of the permanent temple.
t Reference to Leviticus 24:5-9, Exodus 25:30
u Reference to 1 Samuel 21:1-6
v Traditionally, ‘Son of Man’