Jesus Chooses His First Disciples
(Matthew 4.18-22Mark 1.16-20)1 Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God's message. 2 Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash their nets. 3 Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat to teach the crowd.
4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.”
5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did this and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don't come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.
Jesus told Simon, “Don't be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” 11 The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Man
(Matthew 8.1-4Mark 1.40-45)12 Jesus came to a town where there was a man who had leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he knelt down to the ground in front of Jesus and begged, “Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”
13 Jesus put his hand on him and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared. 14 Jesus told him, “Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest. Offer a gift to the priest, just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed.”
15 News about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.
Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Walk
(Matthew 9.1-8Mark 2.1-12)17 One day some Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses sat listening to Jesus teach. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem.
God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick, 18 and some people came carrying a man on a mat because he could not walk. They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus. 19 But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in the middle of the room.
20 When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, “Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking this? 23 Is it easier for me to tell this man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? 24 But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home.”
25 At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. 26 Everyone was amazed and praised God. What they saw surprised them, and they said, “We have seen a great miracle today!”
Jesus Chooses Levi
(Matthew 9.9-13Mark 2.13-17)27 Later, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 28 Levi left everything and went with Jesus.
29 In his home Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. Many tax collectors and other guests were also there.
30 The Pharisees and some of their teachers of the Law of Moses grumbled to Jesus' disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with these tax collectors and other sinners?”
31 Jesus answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. 32 I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners.”
People Ask about Going without Eating
(Matthew 9.14-17Mark 2.18-22)33 Some people said to Jesus, “John's followers often pray and go without eating, and so do the followers of the Pharisees. But your disciples never go without eating or drinking.”
34 Jesus told them, “The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. 35 But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.”
36 Jesus then told them these sayings:
No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and make the hole even bigger.
37 No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. 38 New wine must be put only into new wineskins.
39 No one wants new wine after drinking old wine. They say, “The old wine is better.”
1 Then it came to passe, as the people preassed vpon him to heare the word of God, that he stoode by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And sawe two shippes stand by the lakes side, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nettes. 3 And he entred into one of the ships, which was Simons, and required him that he would thrust off a litle from the land: and he sate downe, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he sayd vnto Simon, Lanch out into the deepe, and let downe your nettes to make a draught. 5 Then Simon answered, and sayd vnto him, Master, we haue trauailed sore all night, and haue taken nothing: neuerthelesse at thy worde I will let downe the net. 6 And when they had so done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, so that their net brake. 7 And they beckened to their parteners, which were in the other ship, that they shoulde come and helpe them, who came then, and filled both the ships, that they did sinke. 8 Now when Simon Peter saw it, he fel down at Iesus knees, saying, Lord, go from me: for I am a sinfull man. 9 For he was vtterly astonied, and all that were with him, for the draught of fishes which they tooke. 10 And so was also Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedeus, which were companions with Simon. Then Iesus sayde vnto Simon, Feare not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought the ships to land, they forsooke all, and followed him. 12 Nowe it came to passe, as he was in a certaine citie, beholde, there was a man full of leprosie, and when he sawe Iesus, he fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane. 13 So he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will, be thou cleane. And immediately the leprosie departed from him. 14 And he commanded him that hee should tell it no man: but Go, sayth he, and shew thy selfe to the Priest, and offer for thy clensing, as Moses hath commanded, for a witnes vnto them. 15 But so much more went there a fame abroad of him, and great multitudes came together to heare, and to be healed of him of their infirmities. 16 But he kept himselfe apart in the wildernes, and prayed. 17 And it came to passe, on a certaine day, as he was teaching, that the Pharises and doctours of the Law sate by, which were come out of euery towne of Galile, and Iudea, and Hierusalem, and the power of the Lord was in him to heale them. 18 Then beholde, men brought a man lying in a bed, which was taken with a palsie, and they sought meanes to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not finde by what way they might bring him in, because of the preasse, they went vp on the house, and let him downe through the tyling, bed and all, in the middes before Iesus. 20 And when he sawe their faith, he sayd vnto him, Man, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. 21 Then the Scribes and the Pharises began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? who can forgiue sinnes, but God onely? 22 But when Iesus perceiued their reasoning, he answered, and sayd vnto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier to say, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, or to say, Rise and walke? 24 But that ye may know that that Sonne of man hath authoritie to forgiue sinnes in earth, (he sayd vnto the sicke of the palsie) I say to thee, Arise: take vp thy bed, and goe to thine house. 25 And immediatly he rose vp before them, and tooke vp his bed whereon he lay, and departed to his owne house, praysing God. 26 And they were all amased, and praysed God, and were filled with feare, saying, Doutlesse we haue seene strange things to day. 27 And after that, he went foorth and sawe a Publicane named Leui, sitting at the receite of custome, and sayd vnto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose vp, and folowed him. 29 Then Leui made him a great feast in his owne house, where there was a great company of Publicanes, and of other that sate at table with them. 30 But they that were Scribes and Pharises among them, murmured against his disciples, saying, Why eate ye and drinke ye with Publicanes and sinners? 31 Then Iesus answered, and sayd vnto them, They that are whole, neede not the Physician, but they that are sicke. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 33 Then they said vnto him, Why do the disciples of Iohn fast often, and pray, and the disciples of the Pharises also, but thine eate and drinke? 34 And he said vnto them, Can ye make the children of the wedding chamber to fast, as long as the bridegrome is with them? 35 But the dayes will come, euen when the bridegrome shalbe taken away from them: then shall they fast in those dayes. 36 Againe he spake also vnto them a parable, No man putteth a piece of a newe garment into an olde vesture: for then the newe renteth it, and the piece taken out of the newe, agreeth not with the olde. 37 Also no man powreth newe wine into olde vessels: for then ye new wine wil breake the vessels, and it will runne out, and the vessels will perish: 38 But newe wine must be powred into newe vessels: so both are preserued. 39 Also no man that drinketh olde wine, straightway desireth newe: for he sayth, The olde is more profitable.