Mark 2:3-12
3 Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.(A)
4 When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they (a)removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 But some of the (b)scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said],
7 “Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus, being fully aware [of their hostility] and knowing in His spirit that they were thinking this, said to them, “Why are you debating and arguing about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’?
10 But so that you may know that the (c)Son of Man has the authority and power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man,
11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat and go home.”
12 And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before them all, so that they all were astonished and they glorified and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Footnotes:
a.
Mark 2:4: The roof of a typical home was composed of clay tiles which were laid on a mat of branches and grass supported by wooden beams. The parallel passage in Luke explains that “they went up on the roof and lowered him through the tiles” (5:19).
b.
Mark 2:6: These were scholars of the Law and of the writings of the prophets.
c.
Mark 2:10: Jesus uses this title to identify Himself as Messiah (cf Dan 7:13). It appears over eighty times in the Gospels. Especially notable is its use in 8:31.