Jesus Heals the Sick and Calls Matthew

A leper came to him, and begged him, kneeling before him, "If you wish, you can make me clean."

Jesus was moved with compassion and touched him with his hand (no one dared touch a leper) and said to him, "I will - you are cleansed." And as soon as he had spoken the leprosy instantly left him - he was cleansed.

Jesus strictly commanded him, "Don't say anything about this to anyone, but go and show yourself to a priest and make the proper offering Moses commanded for your cleansing." And He sent him away.

But the man went out telling everyone, spreading the occurrence far and wide so that Jesus couldn't openly enter the city because of the crowds, but had to stay out in desert places. But even then great crowds of people cam to hear Him and be healed.

Then he went far from the crowds and prayed.

Several days later he returned to His house in Capernaum. The news that He was back spread rapidly and there was soon such a crowd, including many Scribes and Parisees, that people had to crowd around the door to hear what Jesus was saying.

While He was teaching, four men brought a paralyzed man lying on a small cot hoping that Jesus would heal him. But the crowd was so great they couldn't get near the door.

Most houses there had flat roofs with a low wall where people could have their meals in the evenings and sleep when the inside of the houses were too hot. There was usually an outside stairway to reach the roof. The men carried the paralyzed man up to the roof, removed some of the tiles and lowered him down with ropes.

When Jesus say the faith of the man and his four friends, He said, "Your sins are forgiven."

The Scribes and the Pharisees who were there began to think, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

Jesus perceived their thoughts and he said to them, "What are you thinking? Is it easier to say, you sins are forgiven, or to say, rise up and walk? But I said it in order that you may know that the Son of man has authority upon earth to forgive sins." Then He said to the sick man, "I say to you, arise, and take up your cot, and go home."

Immediately he rose up before them all and took up his cot and went to his own house, glorifying God.

Everyone there was amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with deep respect, saying, "We have seen strange things to day."

After this he went out into the city and saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting in the tax office. He said to him, "Follow me."

And Matthew left everything and followed him. Then Matthew made Jesus a great feast in his own house. There were a great many publicans and of others that reclined with them. (People did not sit at tables at feasts like we do, they reclined on couches.)

When the Scribes and Pharisees knew of it they complained to His disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners?"

Jesus, hearing their questions, answered, "Those who are well don't need a physician' but those who are sick. I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

They also asked him, "Why do John's disciples fast often, as well as the disciples of the Pharisees, but your disciples eat and drink?"

He replied, "Can you make the wedding guests fast during the week of the wedding feast? But in the future when the bridegroom is taken away from them they will fast."

Then he told them a parable: "No man Patches an old garment with a piece of new cloth. Otherwise, the new patch makes the old garment look ugly and when it's washed the new patch will shrink, making it even uglier or tearing it.

"No one puts new wine into old wineskins - the new wine will burst the old skins and be spilled because the old skins won't stretch enough. Even the burst skins will be good for nothing. But new wine must be put into new skins and both are preserved.

"No one who has drunk aged wine wants new wine, he says the aged wine is better.

Life of Christ Part Thirteen - Jesus Angers the Pharisees and Selects His Disciples

 Bible Stories Main Page