Luke 5:12-28

121While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man 2covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14And He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and 3show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 15But 4the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16But Jesus Himself would often slip away 5to the 6wilderness and 7pray.

178One day He was teaching; and 9there were some Pharisees and 10teachers of the law sitting there, who had 11come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and 12the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. 1813And some men were carrying on a 14bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on 15the roof and let him down 16through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20Seeing their faith, He said, “17Friend, 18your sins are forgiven you.” 21The scribes and the Pharisees 19began to reason, saying, “20Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? 21Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22But Jesus, 22aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”--He said to the 23paralytic--“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home 24glorifying God. 2625They were all struck with astonishment and began 26glorifying God; and they were filled 27with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

2728After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named 2930Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28And he 31left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.