CHAPTER 9
Just then,
some men brought
to Him
a paralytic
lying
on
a mat.
When
Jesus
saw
their
faith,
He said
to the
paralytic,
“Take courage,
son;
your
sins
are forgiven.”
But
so that
you may know
that
the
Son
of Man
has
authority
on
earth
to forgive
sins...”
Then
He said
to the
paralytic,
“Get up,
pick up
your
mat,
and
go
home.”
When
the
crowds
saw this,
they were filled with awe
and
glorified
God,
who had given
such
authority
to men.
As
Jesus
went on
from there,
He saw
a man
named
Matthew
sitting
at
the
tax booth.
“Follow
Me,”
He told
him,
and
Matthew got up
and followed
Him.
Later,
as
Jesus
was dining
at
Matthew’s
house,
many
tax collectors
and
sinners
came
and ate with
Him
and
His
disciples.
When
the
Pharisees
saw this,
they asked
His
disciples,
“Why
does your
Teacher
eat
with
tax collectors
and
sinners?”
But
go
and learn
what
this means:
‘I desire
mercy,
not
sacrifice.’
For
I have not come
to call
the righteous,
but
sinners.”
At that time,
John’s
disciples
came
to Jesus
and asked,
“Why is it that
we
and
the
Pharisees
fast
so often,
but
Your
disciples
do not
fast?”
Jesus
replied,
“How can
the
attendants
of the
bridegroom
mourn
while
He
is
with
them?
But
the time
will come
when
the
bridegroom
will be taken away
from
them;
then
they will fast.
No one
sews
a patch
of unshrunk
cloth
on
an old
garment.
For
the
patch
will pull away
from
the
garment,
and
a worse
tear
will result.
Neither
do men pour
new
wine
into
old
wineskins.
If they do,
the
skins
will burst,
the
wine
will spill,
and
the
wineskins
will be ruined.
Instead,
they pour
new
wine
into
new
wineskins,
and
both
are preserved."
While
Jesus was saying
these things,
a
synagogue ruler
came
and knelt
before Him.
“My
daughter
has just died,”
he said.
“But
come
and place
Your
hand
on
her,
and
she will live.”
Suddenly
a woman
who had suffered from bleeding
for twelve
years
came up
behind Him
and touched
the
fringe
of
His
cloak.
Jesus
turned
and
saw
her.
“Take courage,
daughter,”
He said,
“your
faith
has healed
you.”
And
the
woman
was cured
from
that
very
hour.
After
the
crowd
had been put outside,
Jesus went in
and took
the girl
by the
hand,
and
she
got up.
As
Jesus
went on
from there,
two
blind men
followed
Him,
crying out,
“Have mercy on
us,
Son
of David!”
After
Jesus had entered
the
house,
the
blind men
came
to Him.
“Do you believe
that
I am able
to do
this?”
He
asked.
“Yes,
Lord,”
they answered.
And when
the
demon
had been driven out,
the
man
began to speak.
The
crowds
were amazed
and said,
“Nothing
like this
has ever been seen
in
Israel!”
Jesus
went through
all
the
towns
and
villages,
teaching
in
their
synagogues,
preaching
the
gospel
of the
kingdom,
and
healing
every
disease
and
sickness.
When
He saw
the
crowds,
He was moved with compassion
for
them,
because
they were
harassed
and
helpless,
like
sheep
without
a shepherd.