Matthew 9

1So Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake, and came to the town where he lived.

2Some people brought him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. Jesus saw their faith and said to the man, “Be encouraged, my son. Your sins are forgiven.” 3At this some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is insulting God!” 4Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you think such evil things in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God for giving such authority to human beings.

9Moving on from there, Jesus noticed a man called Matthew at his seat in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew rose and followed him.

10Then, as Jesus sat at table in the house, a crowd of tax collectors and sinners came and joined him and his disciples for the meal. 11When the Pharisees saw it, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12Jesus heard them and said, “People who are well do not need a doctor; sick people do. 13Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

14Next John’s disciples came and asked him, “We fast often, and so do the Pharisees. Why do your disciples not fast?” 15Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But a time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast. 16No one sews a patch of new, unshrunk cloth onto an old coat. The patch will pull away from the coat, and the tear will be worse. 17And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will split, the wine will run out, and the skins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are kept safe.”

18While Jesus was still speaking, a leader came and knelt in front of him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20Then a woman came up behind him. For twelve years she had suffered from bleeding. She touched the tassel on his cloak. 21She thought, “If I can just touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned around, and when he saw her, he said, “Courage, my daughter! Your faith has made you well.” And from that moment the woman was well. 23When Jesus came to the leader’s house, he saw the flute players and the noisy crowd. 24“Go away,” he said. “The girl is not dead; she is asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been sent outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through the whole region.

27Two blind men followed Jesus as he left that place. They kept shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, let it be done for you.” 30And their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “Make sure that no one hears about this.” 31But they went out and spread the word about him all over that region.

32As they were leaving, some people brought to him a man who could not speak because he was controlled by a demon. 33When the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute began to speak. The crowds were astonished. “Israel has never seen anything like this!” they said. 34But the Pharisees kept saying, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness.

36When he saw the crowds, he felt deep pity for them, because they were worn out and abandoned, like sheep with no shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is large, but there are few workers. 38So pray to the Lord of the harvest, and ask him to send out workers into his harvest.”