MATTHEW THE PUBLICAN CALLED BY JESUS. And And bed a man which was taken with a palsy: which was borne of four. they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him. when they could not find by what way they might bring him in nigh unto Him because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop; they uncovered the roof where He was and when they had broken it up, they let him down through the tiling with his couch, wherein the sick of the palsy lay, 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. And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason in their hearts, 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, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Why reason ye these things? wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? whether is it 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, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God, But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men; and were filled with fear, saying, We never saw it on this fashion; we have seen strange things to-day. And after these things He went forth again by the sea-side; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew-a publican, named Levi-the son of Alphæus, sitting at the receipt of custom; and He said unto him, Follow Me. And he left all, rose up, and followed Him. 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 murmured against His disciples, saying, How is it that He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the 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 THE PARABLE OF CLOTH AND WINE, NEW AND OLD. come and say unto Him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Parisees fast often, and make prayers, but Thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber 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 also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse: 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. HERE ENDETH THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS. THIRD PERIOD. ST MATTHEW VIII., 5-13, 18-34; IX., 1, 10-38; X.-XIV. ST MARK II, 23-28 ; III.—VI. ST LUKE VI.-IX. 1-17. ST JOHN V., VI. ARRANGED IN ORDER OF TIME. 24. Jesus and the Impotent Man. After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked and on the same day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, JESUS ANSWERS JEWISH CAVILLINGS. Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was for Jesus had conveyed Himself away, a multitude being in that place. : Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou are made whole sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. : Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judg ment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of Mine own self do nothing as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of Me: and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of Me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare THE DISCIPLES PLUCK EARS OF CORN ON THE SABBATH. witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me. And the Father Himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His word abiding in you for whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not. Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life : and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words? 25.--The Disciples and the Sabbath. ST MATT. 12. 1-8; ST MARK 2. 23-28; ST LUKE 6. 1-5. And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first, that Jesus went through the corn fields; and His disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But He said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him? how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shew-bread, and gave also to them that were with him; which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is One greater |