Study Desk

^(F1)One day He was teaching, and ^(C1)there were some Pharisees and ^(C2)teachers of the Law sitting there who had ^(C3)come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and ^(C4)the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.

^(C1)And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him.

But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on ^(C1)the roof and let him down ^(C2)through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

And seeing their faith, He said, "^(F1)Friend, ^(C1)your sins are forgiven you."

The scribes and the Pharisees ^(C1)began thinking of the implications, saying, "^(C2)Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? ^(C3)Who can forgive sins, except God alone?"

But Jesus, ^(F1)aware of their thoughts, responded and said to them, "Why are you thinking this way in your hearts?

"Which is easier, to say: 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

"But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins," He said to the ^(C1)man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home."

And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home ^(C1)glorifying God.

And ^(F1)they were all struck with astonishment and began ^(C1)glorifying God. They were also filled ^(C2)with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today!"