21 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward , it was heard that He was at home . 2 And many were gathered together , so that there was no longer room , not even near the door ; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came , bringing to Him a paralytic , carried by four men . 4 Being unable e to get to Him because of the crowd , they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying . 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic , "Son , your sins are forgiven ." 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts , 7 "Why does this man speak that way ? He is blaspheming ; who can forgive sins but God alone ?" 8 Immediately Jesus , aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves , said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts ? 9 "Which is easier , to say to the paralytic , 'Your sins are forgiven '; or to say , 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk '? 10 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-He said to the paralytic , 11 "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home ." 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone , so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God , saying , " We have never seen anything like this ."
13 And He went out again by the seashore ; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth , and He said to him, " Follow Me!" And he got up and followed Him. 15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house , and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples ; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors , they said to His disciples , " Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners ?" 17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, " It is not those who are healthy who need a physician , but those who are sick ; I did not come to call the righteous , but sinners ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 2:1-17
Commentary on Mark 2:1-12
(Read Mark 2:1-12)
It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.
Commentary on Mark 2:13-17
(Read Mark 2:13-17)
Matthew was not a good character, or else, being a Jew, he would never have been a publican, that is, a tax-gatherer for the Romans. However, Christ called this publican to follow him. With God, through Christ, there is mercy to pardon the greatest sins, and grace to change the greatest sinners, and make them holy. A faithful, fair-dealing publican was rare. And because the Jews had a particular hatred to an office which proved that they were subject to the Romans, they gave these tax-gatherers an ill name. But such as these our blessed Lord did not hesitate to converse with, when he appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh. And it is no new thing for that which is both well done and well designed, to be slandered, and turned to the reproach of the wisest and best of men. Christ would not withdraw, though the Pharisees were offended. If the world had been righteous, there had been no occasion for his coming, either to preach repentance, or to purchase forgiveness. We must not keep company with ungodly men out of love to their vain conversation; but we are to show love to their souls, remembering that our good Physician had the power of healing in himself, and was in no danger of taking the disease; but it is not so with us. In trying to do good to others, let us be careful we do not get harm to ourselves.