Mark 1:35 – 2:12

Mark 1

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

³⁵ Jesus got up early in the morning, while it was still dark, and went out. He withdrew to a solitary place and was praying there. ³⁶ Simon and his companions searched for him, ³⁷ and, when they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is looking for you!”

³⁸ He told them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the neighboring villages, so that I can preach there too. In fact, that is why I have come.” ³⁹ Then he went throughout the whole region of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Jesus Heals a Leper

⁴⁰ A leper came to Jesus. He knelt down and begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be clean.” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was healed. ⁴³ Then Jesus gave him a stern warning and immediately sent him away. ⁴⁴ He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone. Instead go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices for your cleansing that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

⁴⁵ But after the man left, he began to proclaim it widely. He spread the word so much that Jesus was no longer able to enter a town openly but stayed outside in deserted places. Yet people kept coming to him from all directions.

Jesus Forgives Sins

Mark 2

¹ When Jesus again entered Capernaum some days later, people heard that he was home. ² So many people were gathered together that there was no more room, not even by the door, and he was speaking the word to them. ³ Some people came to him bringing a paralyzed man, carried by four men. ⁴ Since they could not bring the man to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug through the roof above where he was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralyzed man was lying. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶ But there were some experts in the law sitting there and thinking in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this fellow speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

⁸ Jesus immediately knew in his spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. He asked them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier: to tell the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, 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 paralyzed man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

¹² At once the man got up, picked up the stretcher, and went out in front of everyone. So they were all amazed and glorified God. They said, “We have never seen anything like this!”