Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

(Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26)

1After getting into a boat, Jesusa crossed to the other side and came to his own city. 2All at once some peopleb brought him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he told the paralyzed man, “Be courageous, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

3Then some of the scribes told themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4But Jesus, knowingc what they were thinking, replied, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so you will know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” he told the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!”

7So the mand got up and went home. 8When the crowds saw this, they became frightenede and glorified God for giving such authority to humans.

Jesus Calls Matthew

(Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32)

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s desk and told him, “Follow me.” So he got up and followed him.

10While he was having dinner at Matthew’sf home, many tax collectors and sinners arrived and began eating with Jesus and his disciples. 11The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesusg heard that, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick people do. 13Go and learn what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’h because I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

A Question about Fasting

(Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39)

14Then John’s disciples came to Jesusi and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often,j but your disciples don’t fast?”

15Jesus asked them, “The wedding guestsk can’t mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

The Unshrunk Cloth

(Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36)

16“No one patches an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth, because the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17Nor do peoplel pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Jesus Heals a Woman and Resurrects a Girl

(Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56)

18While Jesusm was telling them these things, an official came up and fell down before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19So Jesus got up and followed him, along with his disciples.

20Just then a woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel of his garment, 21because she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch his robe, I will get well.”

22When Jesus turned and saw her, he said, “Be courageous, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” And from that very hour the woman was well.

23When Jesus came to the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away! The young lady hasn’t died, but is sleeping.” But they ridiculed him with laughter. 25When the crowd had been driven outside, he went in, took her by the hand, and the young lady got up. 26The news of this spread throughout that land.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

27As Jesus was traveling on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When he had gone into the house, the blind men came to him.

Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can do this?”

They told him, “Yes, Lord!”n

29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done for you!” 30And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly told them, “See to it that nobody knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that region.

Jesus Heals a Man who Couldn’t Talk

32As the meno were going out, a man who couldn’t talk because he was demon-possessed was brought to him. 33As soon as the demon had been driven out, the manp began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees kept saying, “He drives out demons by the ruler of demons.”q

The Compassion of Jesus

35Then Jesus began traveling throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness. 36When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he told his disciples, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. 38So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”