He could read their hearts, and so he said to

them,

'Why are you angry? Which is the easiest to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins' (then he turned to the sick man, and said), 'I say to you, Arise, take up your bed, and go away to your house.'

And that minute the poor sick man was made well! He got up at once, rolled up the mat on which he had been lying, and put it under his arm; and then, as the people made way for him to pass out, he went away before them all, quite well and strong, and praising God for His good

ness.

If the people were surprised before, they were much more astonished now.

They seemed at last to understand a little that Jesus really was God, and this made them afraid. But they praised God too; and as they were talking about it amongst themselves, they said,

'We have seen strange things to-day; we have never seen anything like this before.'

CHAPTER XXIV.

MORE MIRACLES OF HEALING.

It was just about this time-when Jesus was doing all the wonderful things of which I have been telling you that He chose another disciple to be always with Him, and to be His friend. His name was Matthew.

Jesus saw him one day as he was sitting at his usual business-collecting money for the king ; and He said to him, ' Follow Me.'

Now Matthew, besides getting money for the king, was also getting a great deal of money for himself; so do you think it was likely that he would leave his riches for the sake of following a prophet as poor as Jesus was?

I think he must have learned to know and love the Lord Jesus during all that time he had been at Capernaum; for when the Saviour called him, he got up at once, left all his riches and his money-making, and followed Him.

Matthew was so thankful and happy at Jesus

having chosen him to be a disciple, that he made a great feast in his house, and invited his new Master to it, and all his own friends.

And who were his friends? Were they some of the good and respectable people of the town?

No; the friends of Matthew were sinners; people who were not respectable; who had not good characters, and who had led bad and naughty lives. Matthew himself had been like these people once; but he was changed now, for God had put His Holy Spirit in his heart. Soon Matthew would have other friends-those who loved and served his Master-but as yet these were all the friends he had.

Would Jesus, however, sit down to table with sinners like these?

Yes; He would, and He did. It was a strange company at that feast! the holy Jesus and His faithful disciples, sitting down with wicked men and sinful women.

When the proud Pharisees saw it, they were very much displeased. They would not eat and drink with such people; they thought themselves much too holy and good. So they complained about it to His disciples.

'Why does your Master eat with wicked people like these?' they asked.

Jesus heard what they said, and He gave them

'People only want a doctor when they are ill; and sinners only want a Saviour when they are sorry for their sins. I am come to speak to sinners, and to make them sorry for their naughtiness.'

The feast was scarcely ended, and Jesus was still teaching them as they sat round the table, when one of the rulers of the synagogue came in, with great haste.

His name was Jairus; and he was in such grief! There, before all the publicans and sinners, he threw himself down at the feet of Jesus, and said,

'My little daughter is lying at the point of death—she is almost dead-but come and lay your hands upon her, and she shall live.'

Jesus got up at once to go with the poor father; and his disciples followed Him, and so did a great number of people. As He went along, still more people came crowding round Him; for they knew that He was going to the ruler's house, to make his little girl-his only daughter-well.

Amongst the crowd there was a poor sick woman who had been ill a great number of years. She had gone to a great many different doctors, and they had all tried to cure her; but she had got no better;

indeed she had become more ill. And now she had spent all her money, and did not know what to do.

As she saw Jesus passing along that day, a sudden thought came into her mind. She said to herself,

'I will try and touch Him; for I know that if I can only just touch the hem of His garment, I shall be well.'

It was not an easy thing for her to touch the Lord Jesus, because of the great crowd that was round Him; and, besides, she was so weak and ill. But she did so long to get to Him, that she tried hard to force her way through. At last she succeeded. She got behind Him, put out her hand, just touched the Master's robe-at that moment she was cured.

Though her touch was so gentle, Jesus felt it. He looked round and said,

"Who touched my clothes?'

Peter answered a little impatiently, 'Master, you see how all the people are pressing against you, so why do you ask if any one has touched you?'

But Jesus knew that it was the hand of faith that had touched Him-that some one who believed in Him had got a blessing from Him-so He replied,