20. When He saw their faith, He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.”
21. Then the Torah scholars and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this fellow speaking blasphemies? Who can pardon sins but God alone?”
22. Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, replied to them, “Why are you raising questions in your hearts?
23. Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24. But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to pardon sins….” He said to the paralyzed one, “I tell you, get up and take your cot, and go home!”
25. Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.
26. Astonishment took hold of them, and they glorified God and all were filled with awe, saying, “We’ve seen incredible things today!”
27. After these things, Yeshua went out and observed a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. He said to him, “Follow Me.”
28. And leaving everything, he got up and followed Him.
29. Levi made a great banquet for Yeshua at his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
30. The Pharisees and their Torah scholars began murmuring to His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31. And Yeshua answered and said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a doctor, but those who are sick do.
32. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinful to repentance.”