Jesus Calls Levi

¹³ He went out again beside the sea, and ^(A)all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. ^14 (B)And as he passed by, he saw ^(C)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

¹⁵ And as he reclined at table in his house, many ^(D)tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And ^(E)the scribes of^[a] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, ^(F)“Why does he eat^[b] with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ^(G)I came not to call the righteous, ^(H)but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

¹⁸ Now ^(I)John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, ^(J)“Why do John's disciples and ^(K)the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

The Rich Young Man

^17 (A)And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and ^(B)knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ^(C)inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ^(D)‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ And he said to him, “Teacher, ^(E)all these I have kept from my youth.” ²¹ And Jesus, ^(F)looking at him, ^(G)loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, ^(H)sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^(I)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ^22 (J)Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus ^(K)looked around and said to his disciples, ^(L)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter ^(M)the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples ^(N)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ^(O)“Children, ^(P)how difficult it is^[a] to enter ^(Q)the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^(R)the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,^[b] “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus ^(S)looked at them and said, ^(T)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, ^(U)we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, ^(V)there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and ^(W)for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold ^(X)now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, ^(Y)with persecutions, and in ^(Z)the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But ^(AA)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me.