The religious teachers and the Pharisees began to argue with that. “Who is this who's speaking blasphemies?” they asked. “Who can forgive sins? Only God can do that!”
Then I confessed my sins to you. I did not hide the wrongs I had done. I said to myself, “I will confess my disobedience to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sins. Selah.
Come on, let's argue this out, says the Lord. Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white like snow. Even though they are red like crimson, they will become like wool.
I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive! Please pay attention and do something! For your own sake, my God, don't delay, for your city and your people are identified by your name.”
Anyone who curses the name of the Lord must be executed. All of you must stone them to death, whether they are a foreigner who lives with you or an Israelite. If they curse my name, they must be executed.
Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, “He's speaking blasphemy! Why do we need any witnesses? Look, now you've heard for yourselves his blasphemy!
“Demonstrate that you have truly repented. Don't try to justify yourselves by saying, ‘We're Abraham's descendants.’ Let me tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these stones.
One day when Jesus was teaching, the Pharisees and religious teachers who had come from all over Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem were sitting there. The power of the Lord to heal was with him so he could heal.