Jesus Heals a Crippled Man

Jesus came back to Capernaum.* The news spread that Jesus was back home. 2. Many, many people gathered to hear Jesus speak. The house was full. There was no place to stand, not even outside the door. Jesus was teaching these people. 3 some people brought a paralyzed (crippled) man to Jesus. Four men were carrying the paralyzed man. But they could not bring the man to Jesus because the house was full of people. So the men went to the roof above Jesus and made a hole in the roof. Then they lowered the bed with the paralyzed man on it. 5Jesus saw that these men had much faith. So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven." 6Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there. They saw what Jesus did, and they said to themselves, 7"Why does this man say things like that? He is saying things that are against God. Only God can forgive sins." 8Jesus knew that these teachers of the law were thinking those things about him. So Jesus said to them, "Why do you have these questions in your minds? 9-10The Son of Man* has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say to the crippled man, 'Your sins are forgiven.' [No one could see if it really happened.] But what if I say to the man, 'Stand up. Take your bed and walk'? Then you will be able to see that I really have this power." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 11"I tell you, stand up. Take your bed and go home." 12The paralyzed man stood up. He took his bed and walked out of the room. All the people could see him. The people were amazed and praised God. They said, "This is the most amazing thing we have ever seen!"