Matthew 9

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

9Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town.G2532G1684G1519G4143G1276G2532G2064G1519G2398G41722Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven."G2532G2400G4374G846G3885G906G1909G2825G2532G2424G1492G846G4102G2036G3885G5043G2293G4675G266G863G46713But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, "That's blasphemy! Does he think he's God?"G2532G2400G5100G1122G2036G1722G1438G3778G9874Jesus knew

what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?G2532G2424G1492G846G1761G2036G2444G1760G5210G4190G1722G5216G25885Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'?G1063G5101G2076G2123G2036G266G863G4671G2228G2036G1453G2532G40436So I will prove to you that the Son of Man

has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"G1161G2443G1492G3754G5207G444G2192G1849G1909G1093G863G266G5119G3004G3885G1453G142G4675G2825G2532G5217G1519G4675G36247And the man jumped up and went home!G2532G1453G565G1519G846G36248Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority

.G1161G3793G1492G2296G2532G1392G2316G3588G1325G5108G1849G444

Jesus Calls Matthew

9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.G2532G2424G3855G1564G1492G444G3004G3156G2521G1909G5058G2532G3004G846G190G3427G2532G450G190G84610Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.G2532G1096G2424G345G1722G3614G2532G2400G4183G5057G2532G268G2064G4873G846G2532G846G310111But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?

"G2532G5330G1492G2036G846G3101G1302G2068G5216G1320G3326G5057G2532G26812When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do."G1161G2424G191G2036G846G2192G2480G5532G3756G2395G235G2192G256013Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'

For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."G1161G4198G3129G5101G2076G2309G1656G2532G3756G2378G1063G2064G3756G2064G2564G1342G235G268G1519G3341

A Discussion about Fasting

14One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why don't your disciples fast

like we do and the Pharisees do?"G5119G4334G846G3101G2491G3004G1302G2249G2532G5330G3522G4183G1161G4675G3101G3522G375615Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.G2532G2424G2036G846G3361G1410G5207G3567G3996G1909G3745G3566G2076G3326G846G1161G2250G2064G3752G3566G522G575G846G2532G5119G352216"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.G1161G3762G1911G1915G46G4470G1909G3820G2440G1063G4138G142G846G575G2440G2532G4978G1096G550117"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved."G3761G906G3501G3631G1519G3820G779G1490G779G4486G2532G3631G1632G2532G779G622G235G906G3501G3631G1519G2537G779G2532G297G4933

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

18As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her."G846G2980G5023G846G2400G2064G1520G758G4352G846G3004G3754G3450G2364G737G5053G235G2064G2007G4675G5495G1909G846G2532G219819So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.G2532G2424G1453G190G846G2532G846G310120Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,G2532G2400G1135G131G1427G2094G4334G3693G680G2899G846G244021for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed."G1063G3004G1722G1438G1437G680G3440G680G846G2440G498222Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.G1161G2424G1994G2532G1492G846G2036G2364G2293G4675G4102G4982G4571G4982G2532G1135G4982G575G1565G561023When Jesus arrived at the official's home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music.G2532G2424G2064G1519G758G3614G2532G1492G834G2532G3793G235024"Get out!" he told them. "The girl isn't dead; she's only asleep." But the crowd laughed at him.G3004G846G402G1063G2877G599G3756G599G235G2518G2532G2606G846G260625After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up!G1161G3753G3793G1544G1525G2902G846G5495G2532G2877G145326The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.G2532G5345G3778G1831G1519G3650G1565G1093

Jesus Heals the Blind

27After Jesus left the girl's home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"G2532G2424G3855G1564G1417G5185G190G846G2896G2532G3004G5207G1138G1653G224828They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they told him, "we do."G1161G2064G1519G3614G5185G4334G846G2532G2424G3004G846G4100G3754G1410G4160G5124G3004G846G3483G296229Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen."G5119G680G846G3788G3004G2596G5216G4102G1096G521330Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, "Don't tell anyone about this."G2532G846G3788G455G2532G2424G1690G846G3004G3708G3367G109731But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.G1161G1831G1310G846G1310G1722G3650G1565G109332When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn't speak was brought to Jesus.G1161G846G1831G2400G4374G846G2974G444G113933So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!" they exclaimed.G2532G1140G1544G2974G2980G2532G3793G2296G3004G3754G3763G3779G5316G1722G247434But the Pharisees said, "He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons."G1161G5330G3004G1544G1140G1722G758G1140

The Need for Workers

35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.G2532G2424G4013G3956G4172G2532G2968G1321G1722G846G4864G2532G2784G2098G932G2532G2323G3956G3554G2532G3956G3119G1722G299236When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.G1161G1492G3793G4697G4012G846G3754G2258G1590G2532G4496G5616G4263G2192G3361G416637He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.G5119G3004G846G3101G2326G3303G4183G1161G2040G364138So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields."G1189G3767G2962G2326G3704G1544G2040G1519G846G2326