Matthew
Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to his home town.
There some people brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralyzed man, “Son, do not be afraid. Your sins are forgiven.”
Some of the religious teachers said to themselves, “He is speaking blasphemy!”
But Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts in your hearts?
Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Get up and walk’?
But in order that you can be sure that the Son of Man does have the authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
The man got up and went home.
But when the crowds saw what had happened, they were awestruck, and they praised God that He had given such authority to human beings.
As Jesus left there he saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” He got up and followed Jesus.
As Jesus was eating at Matthew’s home, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this they asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why is your teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard this, he replied, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick do.
But go and learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, and not sacrifice,’ because I did not come to call those who are right with God, but sinners.”
Then the disciples of John came and asked, “Why do we and the
Pharisees fast frequently, but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus replied, “Do the groomsmen mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the time is coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
And no one puts a new patch on old clothes; otherwise it will shrink and make a worse tear.
People do not put new wine
into old wineskins either; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. No, people put new wine into new wineskins, and both
are kept safe and sound.”
While he was saying these things, one of the leading officials came and bowed before him. “My daughter has just died, but if you come and place
your hand on her, I know she will come back to life,” he said.
Jesus and his
disciples got up and followed him.
A woman who had been sick with bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his clothes.
She said to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
But Jesus turned and saw her and said, “Daughter, take heart. Your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment on.
Jesus arrived at the
official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd mourning loudly.
“Please leave,” he said to them, “because the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they laughed at him.
But when the crowd had been sent out, he went in
and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
News of what happened
spread throughout that region.
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting,
“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
When Jesus got to the house, the blind men went in too. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” he asked them. “Yes, lord,” they replied.
Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “It will be done for you according to your faith.”
And they could see. Then Jesus gave them strict instructions, telling them, “Make sure nobody
knows about this.”
But they went out and spread the word about Jesus
everywhere.
As Jesus and his disciples were going out, a mute, demon-oppressed man
was brought to him.
After the demon was expelled, the mute man spoke,
and the crowds were amazed. “Nothing ever happened like this before in
Israel,” they said.
But the Pharisees were saying, “He expels demons by the
power of the leader of the demons.”
Jesus was going through all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the Gospel about the Kingdom, and healing all
kinds of sicknesses and diseases.
Seeing the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and dejected, like
sheep without a shepherd.
He said to his disciples, “It is a large harvest, but there are only a few workers.
So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Matthew