Jesus Calling
1 Now while the crowds pressed in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats sitting by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put your boat out to sea and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night and took nothing, but at your word I will let down the net.” 6 When they had done this, they pulled in such an enormous catch of fish that their net was breaking.
7 They called to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9 For he was amazed and all who were with him, at the amount of fish that they had caught, 10 and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.”
11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
The Leper’s Prayer
12 While Jesus was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice for cleansing according to the laws of Moses, as a testimony to them.” 15 But the report concerning him spread much more, and great crowds came together to hear and to be healed by him of their sicknesses. 16 But he withdrew into the desert, and prayed.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 One day, Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby, who had come from every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. 18 Men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him and lay before Jesus. 19 Not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up to the housetop and lowered him on his cot through the tiles, into their midst in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Sir, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? 23 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take up your cot, and go home.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them and took up that which he was laying on and departed to his house, glorifying God.
26 Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Jesus Calls Levi
27 After that Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office and said to him, “Follow me!”
28 He left everything and rose up and followed him.
29 Levi made a great feast for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. 30 The scribes and the Pharisees complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.”
Jesus Questioned about Fasting
32 “I have come, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 33 They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, and also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” 34 He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”
The Patches and Wineskins
36 He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 No one puts new wine into old wine skins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved. 39 No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”