For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”
He arose and departed to his house.
As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.
As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ Hosea 6:6 for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”
Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Neither do people put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.”
While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.
Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment;
for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”
But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder,
he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.
But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.
As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him.
When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”
Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother;
Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.
Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.
Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.
But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.
It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.
Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword.
For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.
He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me.
He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”
When Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”
As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.
All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him;
how he entered into God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 1 Samuel 21:3-6
Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?
But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ Hosea 6:6 you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
He departed there, and went into their synagogue.
And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him.
He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out?
Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.”
Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.
But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all,
and commanded them that they should not make him known:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
In his name, the nations will hope.” Isaiah 42:1-4
Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you.
Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
“He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.













