CHAPTER 5
On one occasion,
while
Jesus
was
standing
by
the
Lake
of Gennesaret
with the
crowd
pressing in on
Him
to hear
the
word
of
God,
He saw
two
boats
at the edge
of the
lake.
The
fishermen
had left
them
and were washing
their
nets.
Jesus got
into
the
boat
belonging
to Simon
and asked
him
to put out
a little
from
shore.
And
sitting down,
He taught
the
people
from
the
boat.
When
Jesus had finished
speaking,
He said
to
Simon,
“Put out
into
deep water
and
let down
your
nets
for
a catch.”
“Master,”
Simon
replied,
“we have worked
through
the night
without catching
anything.
But
because
You
say so,
I will let down
the
nets.”
So
they signaled
to their
partners
in
the
other
boat
to come
and help
them,
and
they came
and
filled
both
boats
so full that
they
began to sink.
When
Simon
Peter
saw this,
he fell at
Jesus’
knees.
“Go away
from
me,
Lord,”
he said,
“for
I am
a sinful
man.”
and
so were
his
partners
James
and
John,
the sons
of Zebedee.
“Do not
be afraid,”
Jesus
said
to
Simon,
“from
now on
you will
catch
men.”
While
Jesus
was
in
one
of the
towns,
a man
came along
who was covered
with leprosy.
When he saw
Jesus,
he fell
facedown
and begged
Him,
“Lord,
if
You are willing,
You can
make me clean."
Jesus reached out
His
hand
and touched
the man.
“I am willing,”
He said,
“be clean!”
And
immediately
the
leprosy
left
him.
“Do not tell
anyone,”
Jesus
instructed
him.
“But
go,
show
yourself
to the
priest
and
present the offering
Moses
prescribed
for
your
cleansing,
as
a testimony
to them.”
But
the
news
about
Jesus
spread
all the more,
and
great
crowds
came
to hear Him
and
to be healed
of
their
sicknesses.
One
day
Jesus
was
teaching,
and
the Pharisees
and
teachers of the law
were
sitting there.
People
had
come
from Jerusalem
and
from
every
village
of Galilee
and
Judea,
and
the power
of the Lord
was present
for
Him
to heal the sick.
Just then,
some men
came carrying
a paralyzed
man
on
a mat.
They tried
to bring him inside
to set
him
before
Jesus,
but
they could not find
a way
through
the
crowd.
So they went up
on
the
roof
and lowered
him
on
his
mat
through
the
tiles
into
the
middle of the crowd,
right in front of
Jesus.
But
the
scribes
and
Pharisees
began
to consider this
and ask,
“Who
is
this
man who
speaks
blasphemy?
Who
can
forgive
sins
but
God
alone?"
But
so that
you may know
that
the
Son
of Man
has
authority
on
the
earth
to forgive
sins...”
He said
to the
paralytic,
“I tell
you,
get up,
pick up
your
mat,
and go
home.”
Immediately
the man stood up
before
them,
took
what
he had been lying
on,
and went
home
glorifying
God.
Everyone
was taken with
amazement
and
glorified
God.
They were filled
with awe
and said,
“We have seen
remarkable things
today.”
After
this,
Jesus went out
and
saw
a tax collector
named
Levi
sitting
at
the
tax booth.
“Follow
Me,”
He told
him,
Then
Levi
hosted
a great
banquet
for Jesus
at
his
house.
A large
crowd
of tax collectors
was there,
along with
others
who
were
eating
with
them.
But
the
Pharisees
and
their
scribes
complained
to
Jesus’
disciples,
“Why
do you eat
and
drink
with
tax collectors
and
sinners?”
Then
they said
to
Him,
“John’s
disciples
and
those
of the
Pharisees
frequently
fast
and
pray,
but
Yours
keep on eating
and
drinking.”
He also told
them
a parable:
“No one
tears
a piece of cloth
from
a new
garment
and sews it
on
an old
one.
If he does,
he will tear
the
new garment
as well,
and
the patch
from
the
new
will not match
the
old.
And
no one
pours
new
wine
into
old
wineskins.
If he does,
the
new
wine
will burst
the
skins,
the wine
will spill,
and
the
wineskins
will be ruined.