BEGINNINGS OF CONTROVERSY

The Healing of a Paralytic.

And when he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was noised that he was in the house. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, no, not even about the door; and he spake the word unto them.

And they come, bringing unto him a man sick of the palsy, borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the crowd, they went up to the housetop, and uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay.

And Jesus seeing their faith saith unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins are forgiven."

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, "Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but one, even God?"

And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, saith unto them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, 'Thy sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?' But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), 'I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house.'"

And he arose, and straightway took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and were filled with fear, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw it on this fashion: we have seen strange things to-day."

The Publican Disciple.

And Jesus went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw a man, called Levi Matthew, the son of Alphæus, sitting at the place of toll, and he saith unto him, "Follow me."

And he forsook all, and arose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house. And there was a great multitude of publicans and sinners that were sitting at meat with Jesus and his disciples.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, "Why eateth your Teacher with the publicans and sinners?"

But when he heard it, he said, "They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this meaneth, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice': for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Old and the New.

And John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they come and say unto him, "The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink."

And Jesus said unto them, "Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days."

And he spake also a parable unto them: "No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish. But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins. And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good."

A Sabbath Healing in Jerusalem.

After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered. And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity. When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, "Wouldest thou be made whole?"

The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."

Jesus saith unto him, "Arise, take up thy bed, and walk."

And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.

Now it was the sabbath on that day.

So the Jews said unto him that was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed."

But he answered them, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, 'Take up thy bed, and walk.'"

They asked him, "Who is the man that said unto thee, 'Take up thy bed, and walk'?"

But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee."

The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

But Jesus answered them, "My Father worketh even until now, and I work."

For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will. For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.

"I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.

"Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. I receive not glory from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not? Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath.

At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat, rubbing them in their hands.

But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, "Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath."

But he said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, and they that were with him: how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here. But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' ye would not have condemned the guiltless."

And he said unto them, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."