Jesus Calls His First Disciples

(Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)

1One day, as the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to God’s word, Jesusa was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets. 3So Jesusb got into one of the boats (the one that belonged to Simon) and asked him to push out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.

4When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch.”

5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll lower the nets.” 6After the menc had done this, they caught so many fish that the nets began to tear. 7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until the boatsd began to sink. 8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”— 9because Simone and all the people who were with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons and Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus told Simon, “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” 11So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.f

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

(Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45)

12One day, while Jesusg was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

13So Jesush reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to. Be clean!” Instantly the leprosy left him. 14Then Jesusi ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”j 15But the news about Jesusk spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. 16However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

(Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12)

17One day, as Jesusl was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The peoplem had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.n 18Some men were bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to take him into the houseo and place him in front of Jesus.p 19When they couldn’t find a way to get him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on his stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the room,q right in front of Jesus. 20When Jesusr saw their faith, he said, “Mister,s your sins are forgiven.”

21The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, “Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, “Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?t 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But so you’ll know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” he told the paralyzed man, “I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!” 25So the manu immediately stood up in front of them and picked up what he had been lying on. Then he went home, praising God.

26Amazement seized all the people, and they began to praise God. They were filled with fearv and declared, “We have seen wonderful things today!”

Jesus Calls Levi

(Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17)

27After that, Jesusw went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector’s desk. He told him, “Follow me!” 28So Levix left everything behind, got up, and followed him.

29Later, Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus.y A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus’z disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31But Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick people do. 32I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.”

A Question about Fasting

(Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22)

33Then they told him, “John’s disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciplesaa keep right on eating and drinking.”

34But Jesus told them, “You can’t force the wedding guestsbb to fast while the groom is still with them, can you? 35But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and at that time they will fast.”

The Unshrunk Cloth

(Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21)

36Then he told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, the new cloth will tear, and the piece from the new won’t match the old. 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will make the skins burst, the winecc will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38Instead, new wine is to be poured into fresh wineskins. 39No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is good enough!’”dd