man, Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken : And so was James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST HEALS A LEPER. Matt. viii. 2-4. Mark i. 40-44. Luke v. 12-14. 23. And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy; who seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, "I will be thou clean." And as soon as he had spoken immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; And Jesus saith unto him, "See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them." But he went out and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, and so much the more went there a fame abroad of him, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, and he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. And great multitudes came together to him, from every quarter, to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. RETURNING TO CAPERNAUM, HE HEALS 24. And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees, and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, four men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy; and they sought means to bring him in, and lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might come nigh unto him because of the multitude, they went upon the house top, and uncovered the roof where he was; and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay, through the tiles, into the midst before Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." But certain of the Scribes sitting there, and Pharisees began to reason in their hearts, saying, "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say Arise and take up thy bed and walk! But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed and go unto thine house." But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men, And were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things to-day, we never saw it on this fashion." And after these things he went forth, again by the seaside; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw a publican (Matthew) named Levi, Son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him, "Follow me." And he left all, rose up, and followed him. OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST IS ENTERTAINED BY MATTHEW AT A GREAT FEAST IN HIS OWN HOUSE. Matt. ix. 10-17. Mark xi. 15-22. Luke v. 29-39. : 25. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: And it came to pass. that as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?" When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them," They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?" And Jesus said unto them, "Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." And he spake also a parable unto them: "No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old: if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith "The old is better." PART III. CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST'S MINISTRY. |