21. The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, "Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!"
22. Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, "Why do you fill your minds with these questions?
23. Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24. But so that you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins" —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home."
25. Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God.
26. All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, "We’ve seen unimaginable things today."
27. Afterward, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
28. Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed him.
29. Then Levi threw a great banquet for Jesus in his home. A large number of tax collectors and others sat down to eat with them.
30. The Pharisees and their legal experts grumbled against his disciples. They said, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"