1Nogle dage senere kom Jesus igen til Kapernaum, og det blev hurtigt kendt over hele byen, at han var ankommet. (Matt 9,1; Luk 5,17)2Det varede ikke længe, før der kom så mange mennesker til det hus, hvor han var, at folk stod langt ud på gaden for om muligt at høre, hvad han havde at sige.3Fire mænd kom gående derhen med en lam mand på en båre.4Da de ikke kunne komme ind til Jesus på grund af mængden af mennesker, gik de op ad trappen til husets flade tag. De fjernede et stykke af taget og firede så båren med den syge mand ned lige foran ham.5Da Jesus så den tro, som disse mænd havde vist, sagde han til den lamme mand: „Min ven, dine synder er dig tilgivet!”6Nogle af de skriftlærde, som sad der, tænkte ved sig selv:7„Hvad bilder han sig ind? Det er da en hån imod Gud! Kun Gud kan tilgive synder.”[1]8Jesus var i sin ånd klar over, hvad de tænkte, og han sagde til dem: „Hvorfor tænker I sådan?9Hvad er lettest at sige til den lamme mand her: ‚Dine synder er tilgivet,’ eller: ‚Rejs dig op, tag din båre og gå på dine ben’?10Lad mig nu vise jer, at Menneskesønnen[2] har magt på jorden til at tilgive synder.”11Med disse ord vendte han sig til den lamme mand og sagde: „Rejs dig op, tag din båre og gå hjem!”12Manden rejste sig, tog sin båre og gik sin vej for øjnene af de forbløffede tilskuere, som straks gav sig til at lovprise Gud for det under, der var sket. „Vi har aldrig set noget lignende!” udbrød de begejstret.
Jesus elsker dem, det religiøse samfund forkaster
13Senere gik Jesus igen ud langs Galilæasøen. En masse mennesker fulgte i hælene på ham, og han underviste dem, mens han gik. (Matt 9,9; Luk 5,27)14Da han passerede toldstedet, så han Levi, Alfæus’ søn, sidde der. „Kom med mig!” sagde Jesus til ham. Straks rejste Levi sig og fulgte med ham som en af hans disciple.15Derefter blev Jesus og disciplene indbudt til spisning i Levis hjem. Mange skatteopkrævere og nogle af de andre „syndere”, som til stadighed fulgte Jesus, blev også inviteret.16Da nu de skriftlærde blandt farisæerne så Jesus i det selskab, sagde de til hans disciple: „Hvordan kan han få sig selv til at spise sammen med den slags syndige mennesker?”17Jesus hørte det og svarede: „Raske mennesker har ikke brug for lægehjælp, men det har de syge. Jeg er kommet for at invitere syndere til at vende om til Gud. Det mener de ‚frelste’ jo ikke, at de har brug for!”
Jesus kommer med en ny lære
18En dag, da Johannes Døbers disciple og farisæerne havde en fastedag,[3] kom der nogle og spurgte Jesus: „Hvorfor faster dine disciple ikke, når både farisæernes og Johannes’ disciple gør det?” (Matt 9,14; Luk 5,33)19„Brudgommens venner kan da ikke faste og sørge, så længe de er sammen med ham,” svarede Jesus.20„Men der kommer et tidspunkt, hvor brudgommen bliver taget fra dem. Så kan de faste.21Man lapper ikke gammelt tøj med et stykke nyt, uvasket stof. Enhver ved, at når den nye lap krymper, river den det gamle tøj i stykker, så hullet bliver endnu værre.22Der er heller ingen, der hælder ny vin på gamle lædersække, for når vinen gærer, vil sækkene sprænges—den nye vin går til spilde, og de gamle sække bliver ødelagt. Nej, til ny vin bruger man nye lædersække.”
Jesus er herre over sabbatten
23En dag, da det var sabbat, gik Jesus og hans disciple langs en kornmark, og mens de gik, plukkede disciplene nogle aks og spiste kernerne. (Matt 12,1; Luk 6,1)24Nogle af farisæerne irettesatte Jesus: „Hvordan kan du tillade, at dine disciple høster korn på en sabbat, hvor man ikke må arbejde?”25„Har I aldrig læst om, hvad David gjorde, da han og hans mænd kom i nød og blev sultne?” svarede Jesus.26„På den tid da Ebjatar var ypperstepræst, gik David hen til Guds hus, og han og hans mænd spiste af de hellige brød, som egentlig kun præsterne havde lov til at spise af.”27Så tilføjede han: „Sabbatten blev til for menneskets skyld—mennesket blev ikke til for sabbattens skyld.28Altså er Menneskesønnen herre over sabbatten.”
1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. (Matt 9,1)2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. (Matt 9,2; Luk 5,18)4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. (Luk 5,19)5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matt 8,10; Matt 8,13; Matt 9,22; Matt 9,29; Matt 15,28; Mark 10,52; Luk 7,9; Luk 7,48; Luk 7,50; Luk 17,19; Luk 18,42; Joh 5,14; Ap G 3,16; Ap G 14,9; Jak 5,15)6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,7“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Salm 32,5; Es 43,25; Mark 14,64; Joh 10,36)8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? (Joh 2,25)9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— (Mark 2,28)11“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Luk 7,16)
Jesus Calls Levi
13He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. (Mark 1,45)14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (Matt 9,9; Luk 5,27)15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Matt 11,19; Luk 15,2)16And the scribes of[1] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat[2] with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2,15; Ap G 4,5; Ap G 23,9)17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Luk 15,7; Joh 9,39; 1.Tim 1,15)
A Question About Fasting
18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matt 11,2; Matt 14,12; Mark 7,5; Luk 11,1; Luk 18,12; Joh 1,35; Joh 3,25; Joh 4,1; Ap G 18,25; Ap G 19,3)19And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. (Joh 3,29)20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. (Luk 17,22; Joh 16,20)21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”[3] (Josva 9,4)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. (5.Mos 23,25; Matt 12,1; Luk 6,1)24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (2.Mos 20,9; Matt 9,11)25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: (1.Sam 21,1; Matt 21,16)26how he entered the house of God, in the time of[4] Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” (2.Mos 25,30; 3.Mos 24,5; 1.Sam 21,1; 2.Sam 8,17; 1.Krøn 24,6)27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (2.Mos 23,12; 5.Mos 5,14; Kol 2,16)28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2,10)