Jesus Calls Levi

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.

And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:

how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.

And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”

And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

A Great Crowd Follows Jesus

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea

And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,

for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.

And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,