Jesus Heals a Paralytic
(Mark 2:1–12; Luke 5:17–26)
1 Jesus got into  a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
2Just 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.”
3On seeing this,  some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
4But  Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why  do you harbor evil in  your hearts?
5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your  sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’
6But 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.”
7And the man got up and went    home.
8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified  God,  who had given such authority  to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
(Mark 2:13–17; Luke 5:27–32)
9As  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.
10Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house,   many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with  Him and  His disciples.
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked  His disciples, “Why   does your Teacher eat with  tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the  sick.
13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy,  not sacrifice.’ For I have not come  to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Questions about Fasting
(Mark 2:18–20; Luke 5:33–35)
14At 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?”
15  Jesus replied,  “How can  the guests of the bridegroom mourn  while  He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;  then they will fast.
The Patches and the Wineskins
(Mark 2:21–22; Luke 5:36–39)
16 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.
17Neither 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.”
The Healing Touch of Jesus
(Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56)
18While Jesus was saying  these things,  a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My  daughter  has just died,” he said.  “But come and place Your  hand on her, and she will live.”
19So  Jesus got up and went with him, along with His  disciples.
20Suddenly  a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.
21 She said to herself, “If only I touch His  cloak, I will be healed.”
22  Jesus turned and saw her. “Take courage, daughter,” He said, “your  faith has healed you.” And the woman was cured from that very hour.
23When  Jesus entered  the house of the synagogue leader,  He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd.
24“Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead,  but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.
25After  the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and  she got up.
26And the news about this spread throughout  that  region.
Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute
(Mark 7:31–37)
27As  Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out,   “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28After 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. 
29Then He touched their  eyes and said, “According to your  faith will it be done to you.”
30And their  eyes were opened.   Jesus warned them sternly,   “See that no one finds out about this!”
31But  they went out and spread the news about Him throughout   the land.
32As they were leaving,  a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus.
33And 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!”
34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out  demons.”
The Lord of the Harvest
(Luke 10:1–12)
35  Jesus went through all the towns and  villages, teaching in their  synagogues,  preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and  sickness.
36When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without  a shepherd.
37Then He said to His disciples,  “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,  to send out workers into His  harvest.”