Chapter 9

1Jesus got into a boat, crossed the lake, and returned to his own town.

2Some people brought him a paralyzed man lying on a sleeping mat. When Jesus saw their trust in him, he said to the man, “Take courage, my child. The wrongs you have done are forgiven.”

3Some experts in Jewish religious law thought, “This man is insulting God!”

4Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you thinking such evil things?”

5Jesus continued, “Which is easier: to say, ‘The wrongs you have done are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?”

6Jesus continued, “But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority here on earth to forgive people’s wrongs.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your sleeping mat, and go home.”

7The man got up and went home.

8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for giving such authority to human beings.

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a booth where taxes and tolls were collected. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him.

10Later, while Jesus was eating in a house, many tax collectors and people known for doing wrong came and ate with him and his disciples.

11The Pharisees, members of a Jewish religious movement known for strictly following religious law, saw this and asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and people who do wrong?”

12Jesus heard them and said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.”

13Jesus continued, “Go and learn what these words mean: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call people who do right, but people who do wrong.”

14Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees often fast—go without food for religious reasons—while your disciples do not?”

15Jesus answered, “Wedding guests do not mourn while the groom is still celebrating with them. But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them. Then they will fast.”

16Jesus continued, “No one sews a patch of new, unshrunk cloth onto old clothing. The patch will pull away from the clothing and make the tear worse.”

17Jesus continued, “People also do not pour new wine into old leather wine bags. If they do, the bags burst, the wine spills out, and the bags are ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new bags. That way, both the wine and the bags are preserved.”

18While Jesus was saying these things, a leader came and knelt before him. He said, “My daughter has just died. But come and place your hand on her, and she will live.”

19Jesus got up and went with him, and his disciples followed.

20Just then, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel at the edge of his clothing.

21She had been telling herself, “If I only touch his clothing, I will be healed.”

22Jesus turned, saw her, and said, “Take courage, dear woman. Your trust in me has made you well.” From that moment, the woman was healed.

23When Jesus reached the leader’s house, he saw funeral flute players and a noisy crowd.

24Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead; she is sleeping.” But they laughed at him.

25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand. She got up.

26News of this spread throughout that entire region.

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28When Jesus entered the house, the two men came to him. Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I can restore your sight?” They answered, “Yes, Lord.”

29Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it happen for you as you have trusted.”

30Their eyes opened, and they could see. Jesus sternly warned them, “Make sure no one finds out about this.”

31But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.

32As they were leaving, some people brought Jesus a man who was under a demon’s control and unable to speak.

33After Jesus drove the demon out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “No one has ever seen anything like this in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by using the power of the ruler of demons.”

35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues, where Jewish communities gathered, announced the good news about God’s rule, and healed every kind of disease and sickness.

36When Jesus saw the crowds, he felt deep compassion for them because they were worn down and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but there are only a few workers.”

38Jesus continued, “So ask God, the Lord of the harvest, to send workers out into his harvest.”