Jesus showed that God had authorized him to forgive a person’s sins

Jesus had [God’s] authority to forgive peoples’ sins [bad deeds] Or Four friends bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus Or A man is forgiven and healed

Jesus was travelling to many towns [villages] with his disciples [learners]. At each place, he would teach people and heal their diseases. Then he returned to his hometown [Capernaum / where he was staying when he was not traveling / his ministry base].

Many people crowded together in a house to hear Jesus. No more people could get inside! Even the doorway was filled [with people].

[Inside the house] Jesus was teaching [to the people] his [new] message from God.

Also, there were some Jewish religious leaders in that house. They had traveled a long way to come criticize [speak against] Jesus’ new teaching.

Four other men came to the place where Jesus was teaching. They were carrying a paralyzed man [who could not move his legs] on a stretcher [bed/mat]. But they could not take the man to Jesus inside the house, because the people were so [too] many [crowded].

So they carried the man [up some stairs or steps] on his stretcher up onto the flat roof of the house. There they made a hole [opening] in the roof.

Then the four men lowered the paralyzed man on his stretcher through the opening down to Jesus.

When Jesus saw that the four men strongly believed [expected] him to heal the paralyzed man, he said to the man, “Young man, I forgive your sins.”

[When Jesus said that] Those religious leaders criticized [condemned] Jesus within themselves, thinking, “That man [Jesus] wrongfully thinks that he is God! For [because] only God can forgive sins!”

Immediately Jesus knew that they were angry with him. So, he said to them, “You should not think within yourselves that I do wrong when I forgive someone’s sins.

“Which is easier to say, “I forgive your sins,” or to say, “Stand up and walk”?

“I shall now show you, here on earth, that I have authority to forgive people their sins.”

Then Jesus turned toward the paralyzed man and told him, “Stand up! Take [carry] your stretcher [bed/ mat] and go home.”

Immediately, the man who had been unable to walk stood up! He picked up his stretcher, walked out through the crowd, and went home with his friends praising God.

When the people there saw this, they were amazed. They [also] shouted praises to God and said, “We have never seen anything like this happen before!”

But those angry [jealous] religious leaders continued to reject Jesus and his teaching [words / messages].