The Call of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there,^(A) he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.^(B)

¹⁰ While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.^{(C) 11} When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ^(D)

¹² Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick.^{(E) 13} Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.^[a](F) For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^[b]

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ Then^(A) an expert in the law^(B) stood up to test^(C) him, saying, “Teacher,^(D) what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^(E)

²⁶ “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “Love the Lord your God^(F) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,”^(G) and “your neighbor as yourself.”^[a](H)

²⁸ “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”^(I)

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself,^(J) he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ^(K)

³⁰ Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan^(L) on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.^{(M) 34} He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil^(N) and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day^[b] he took out two denarii,^[c] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

³⁷ “The one who showed mercy^(O) to him,” he said.

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world^(A) to be rich in faith^(B) and heirs^(C) of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ Yet you have dishonored the poor.^(D) Don’t the rich oppress you and drag^(E) you into court? ⁷ Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?^(F)

⁸ Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,^[a](G) you are doing well. ⁹ If, however, you show favoritism,^(H) you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.^{(I) 11} For he who said, Do not commit adultery,^[b] also said, Do not murder.^[c](J) So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.^{(K) 13} For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy.^(L) Mercy triumphs over judgment.