The Healing of a Paralytic^(A)

9 He entered a boat, crossed over, and came into His own city. ² They brought to Him a man sick with paralysis, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven you.”

³ Then certain scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes.”

⁴ Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, pick up your bed, and go into your house.” ⁷ And he rose and departed to his house. ⁸ But when the crowds saw it, they were amazed and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

The Calling of Matthew^(B)

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s station. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he rose and followed Him.

¹⁰ While Jesus sat at supper in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² But when Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The Question About Fasting^(C)

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶ “No one sews a piece of new cloth into an old garment, for that which is sewn in to fill it up pulls on the garment, and the tear is made worse. ¹⁷ Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins. Or else the wineskins burst, the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Ruler’s Daughter and a Woman Healed^(D)

¹⁸ While He was speaking these things to them, a certain ruler came and worshipped Him, saying, “My daughter is even now dead. But come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus rose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

²⁰ Then a woman, who was ill with a flow of blood for twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said within herself, “If I may just touch His garment, I shall be healed.”

²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, “Daughter, be of good comfort. Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well instantly.

²³ When Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the musicians and the mourners making a noise, ²⁴ He said to them, “Depart. The girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” And they laughed Him to scorn. ²⁵ But when the people were put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ The news of this went out into all that land.

The Healing of Two Blind Men

²⁷ As Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

²⁸ When He entered the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be done for you.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows of it.” ³¹ But when they had departed, they spread His fame in all that region.

The Healing of a Mute Man

³² As they went out, they brought to Him a mute man possessed with a demon. ³³ And when the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, “This has never been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons through the ruler of the demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus

³⁵ Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.”