5Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God.G1161G1096G1722G3793G1945G846G191G3056G2316G2532G846G2258G2476G3844G3041G10822He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets.G2532G1492G1417G4143G2476G3844G3041G1161G231G576G575G846G637G13503He climbed into the boat that was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.G1161G1684G1519G1520G4143G3739G2258G4613G2065G846G1877G3641G575G1093G2532G2523G1321G3793G1537G41434When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch."G1161G5613G3973G2980G2036G4314G4613G1877G1519G899G2532G5465G5216G1350G1519G615Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets."G2532G4613G611G2036G846G1988G2872G3650G1223G3571G2983G3762G1161G1909G4675G4487G5465G13506It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity.G2532G4160G5124G4160G4788G4183G4128G2486G1161G846G1350G12847They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.G2532G2656G3353G3588G1722G2087G4143G2064G4815G846G2532G2064G2532G4130G297G4143G5620G846G10368Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself."G1161G4613G4074G1492G4363G2424G1119G3004G1831G575G1700G3754G1510G268G435G29629When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him.G1063G846G4023G2285G2532G3956G4862G846G1909G61G2486G3739G481510It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women."G1161G3668G2532G2385G2532G2491G5207G2199G3739G2258G2844G4613G2532G2424G2036G4314G4613G5399G3361G575G3568G2071G2221G44411They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.G2532G2609G4143G1909G1093G863G537G190G84612One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, "If you want to, you can cleanse me."G2532G1096G846G1511G1722G1722G3391G4172G2532G2400G435G4134G3014G2532G1492G2424G4098G1909G4383G1189G846G3004G2962G1437G2309G1410G2511G3165G251113Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.G2532G1614G5495G680G846G2036G2309G2511G2532G2112G3014G565G575G84614Jesus instructed him, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."G2532G846G3853G846G2036G3367G235G565G1166G4572G2409G2532G4374G4012G4675G2512G2531G3475G4367G1519G3142G84615But the man couldn't keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments.G1161G3123G1330G3056G1330G4012G846G2532G4183G3793G4905G191G2532G2323G5259G846G575G846G76916As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.G1161G2258G5298G846G1722G2048G2532G433617One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.G2532G1096G1722G3391G2250G2532G846G2258G1321G2532G2258G5330G2532G3547G2521G3739G2258G2064G1537G3956G2968G1056G2532G2449G2532G2419G2532G1411G2962G2258G1519G2390G84618Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus.G2532G2400G435G5342G1909G2825G444G3739G2258G3886G2532G2212G1533G846G1533G2532G5087G1799G84619When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus.G2532G2147G3361G2147G1223G4169G1533G846G1533G1223G3793G305G1909G1430G2524G846G2524G1223G2766G4862G2826G1519G3319G1715G242420Impressed by their bold belief, he said, "Friend, I forgive your sins."G2532G1492G846G4102G2036G846G444G4675G266G863G467121That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins."G2532G1122G2532G5330G756G1260G3004G5101G2076G3778G3739G2980G988G5101G1410G863G266G1508G2316G344122Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, "Why all this gossipy whispering?G1161G2424G1921G846G1261G611G2036G4314G846G5101G1260G1722G5216G258823Which is simpler: to say 'I forgive your sins,' or to say 'Get up and start walking'?G5101G2076G2123G2036G4675G266G863G4671G2228G2036G1453G2532G404324Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . ." He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: "Get up. Take your bedroll and go home."G1161G2443G1492G3754G5207G444G2192G1849G1909G1093G863G266G2036G3886G3004G4671G1453G2532G142G4675G2826G4198G1519G4675G362425Without a moment's hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way.G2532G3916G450G1799G846G142G1909G3739G2621G565G1519G846G3624G1392G231626The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, "We've never seen anything like that!"G2532G2983G537G1611G2532G1392G2316G2532G4130G5401G3004G3754G1492G3861G459427After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me."G2532G3326G5023G1831G2532G2300G5057G3686G3018G2521G1909G5058G2532G2036G846G190G342728And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.G2532G2641G537G450G190G84629Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner.G2532G3018G4160G846G3173G1403G1722G846G3614G2532G2258G4183G3793G5057G2532G243G3739G2258G2621G3326G84630The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and 'sinners'?"G2532G846G1122G2532G5330G1111G4314G846G3101G3004G1302G2068G2532G4095G3326G5057G2532G26831Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?G2532G2424G611G2036G4314G846G5198G5532G2192G3756G2395G235G2192G256032I'm here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out."G2064G3756G2564G1342G235G268G1519G334133They asked him, "John's disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?"G1161G2036G4314G846G1302G3522G3101G2491G3522G4437G2532G4160G1162G2532G3668G3588G5330G1161G4674G2068G2532G409534Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn't the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time.G1161G2036G4314G846G3361G1410G4160G5207G3567G3522G3739G1722G3566G2076G3326G84635When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!G1161G2250G2064G3752G2532G3566G522G575G846G5119G3522G1722G1565G225036"No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match.G1161G3004G2532G3850G4314G846G3754G3762G1911G1915G2537G2440G1909G2440G3820G1490G2532G2537G4977G2532G1915G575G2537G4856G3756G382037And you don't put wine in old, cracked bottles;G2532G3762G906G3501G3631G1519G3820G779G1490G3501G3631G4486G779G2532G846G1632G2532G779G62238you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine.G235G3501G3631G992G1519G2537G779G2532G297G493339And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine."G3762G2532G4095G3820G2112G2309G3501G1063G3004G3820G2076G5543
Unknown
