Beginning

The Healing of a Man Who Could Not Move His Body ^(A)

9 Jesus got into a boat. He crossed over to the other side and came into His own city. ² They took a man to Him who was on his bed. This man was not able to move his body. Jesus saw their faith. He said, “Son, take hope. Your sins are forgiven.” ³ Some of the teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man speaks as if He is God, but He is not!” ⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you think bad thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’ ⁶ But this is to show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” He said to the sick man, “Get up! Take your bed and go home.” ⁷ He got up and went to his home. ⁸ All the people saw this. They were surprised and wondered about it. Then they gave thanks to God because He had given such power to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew ^(B)

⁹ As Jesus went from there, He saw a man called Matthew. Matthew was sitting at his work gathering taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” Matthew got up and followed Jesus. ¹⁰ Jesus ate in Matthew’s house. Many men who gathered taxes and many who were sinners came to Matthew’s house and sat down with Jesus and His followers. ¹¹ The proud religious law-keepers saw this. They said to the followers of Jesus, “Why does your Teacher eat with men who gather taxes and with sinners?” ¹² Jesus heard them and said, “People who are well do not need a doctor. ¹³ But go and understand these words, ‘I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given.’ ^(C) For I have not come to call good people. I have come to call those who are sinners.”

Jesus Teaches about Going without Food So You Can Pray Better ^(D)

¹⁴ Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They asked, “Why do we and the proud religious law-keepers many times go without food so we can pray better? But Your followers never go without food so they can pray better.” ¹⁵ Jesus said, “Can the friends at a wedding be sorry when the man just married is with them? But the days will come when the man just married will be taken from them. Then they will not eat food so they can pray better.

¹⁶ “No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because if the new piece pulls away, it makes the hole bigger. ¹⁷ Men do not put new wine into old skin bags. If they did, the skins would break and the wine would run out. The bags would be no good. They put new wine into new skin bags and both can be used.”

Two Healed Through Faith ^(E)

¹⁸ While Jesus talked to them, a leader of the people came and got down before Him, and worshiped Him. He said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay Your hand on her and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and followed him. His followers went also. ²⁰ Just then a woman who had been sick with a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind. She touched the bottom of His coat. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch the bottom of His coat, I will be healed.” ²² Then Jesus turned around. He saw her and said, “Daughter, take hope! Your faith has healed you.” At once the woman was healed.

²³ Jesus came into the leader’s house. He saw the people playing music and making much noise. ²⁴ He said to them, “Go now! For the girl is not dead, but is sleeping.” But they laughed at Him. ²⁵ He sent the people outside. Then He went in and took the girl’s hand. She was raised up. ²⁶ News of this went out into all the country.

The Healing of Two Blind Men

²⁷ Jesus went on from there. Two blind men followed Him. They called out, “Take pity on us, Son of David.” ²⁸ Jesus went into the house. The blind men came to Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do you have faith that I can do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Sir!” ²⁹ Then Jesus put His hands on their eyes and said, “You will have what you want because you have faith.” ³⁰ Their eyes were opened. Jesus told them to tell no one. ³¹ But when they had gone, they told about Him everywhere in the country.

³² As they went on their way, a man who had a demon and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ When the demon was put out of him, the man was able to talk. Many people were surprised and wondered about it. They said, “We have never seen in the nation of the Jews like this.” ³⁴ But the proud religious law-keepers said, “He puts out demons by the help of the leader of the demons.”

³⁵ Jesus went on to all the towns and cities. He taught in their places of worship. He preached the Good News of the holy nation of God. He healed every sickness and disease the people had. ³⁶ As He saw many people, He had loving-pity on them. They were troubled and were walking around everywhere. They were like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His followers, “There is much grain ready to gather. But the workmen are few. ³⁸ Pray then to the Lord Who is the Owner of the grain fields that He will send workmen to gather His grain.”

Jesus Calls Twelve Followers and Sends Them Out ^(F)

10 Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. ² These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. ³ There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and ⁴ Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve followers. He told them to go, saying, “Stay away from people who are not Jews. And do not go to any town in the country of Samaria. ⁶ But go to the Jewish people who are lost. ⁷ As you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick and those with bad skin diseases. Raise the dead. Put out demons. You have received much, now give much. ⁹ Do not take gold or silver or brass money with you. ¹⁰ Do not take a bag of things for the trip. Do not take two coats or shoes or a walking stick. A workman should receive his food and what he needs.

¹¹ “When you come to a city or town, find a home that is respected and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them. ¹³ And if the house is respected, give them your good wishes. If it is not respected, let your good wishes come back to you. ¹⁴ Whoever does not receive you or does not listen to what you say, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ For sure, I tell you, it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for that city.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves. ¹⁷ But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship. ¹⁸ They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me. ¹⁹ When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes. ²⁰ It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

²¹ “A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved. ²³ When they make it hard for you in one town, go to another. For sure, I tell you, before you have gone through the Jewish cities, the Son of Man will come.

²⁴ “A follower is not greater than his teacher. A servant who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner. ²⁵ A follower should be happy to be as his teacher, and a servant who is owned by someone should be happy to be as his owner. If they have called the head of the house Satan, how much more will they speak against those of the house. ²⁶ Then do not be afraid of them. For nothing is covered up that will not be brought out into the light. There is nothing hid that will not be made known. ²⁷ You tell in the light what I tell you in the dark. You must speak with a loud voice from the roofs of houses what you have heard. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of them who kill the body. They are not able to kill the soul. But fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ God knows how many hairs you have on your head. ³¹ So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.

³² “Whoever makes Me known in front of men, I will make him known to My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever does not make Me known in front of men and acts as if he does not know Me, I will not make him known to My Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ I came to turn a man against his father. I came to turn a daughter against her mother. I came to turn a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man will be hated by his own family.

Giving Up Things of This Earth ^(G)

³⁷ “He who loves his father and mother more than Me is not good enough for Me. He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁸ He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁹ He who wants to keep his life will have it taken away from him. He who loses his life because of Me will have it given back to him.

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you, receives Me. Whoever receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a preacher who speaks for God because he is a preacher, will get the reward of a preacher who speaks for God. Whoever receives a man right with God, because he is a man right with God, will get the reward of a man right with God. ⁴² For sure, I tell you, anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he follows Me, will not lose his reward.”