Matthew 9

Jesus Heals, Calls, and Teaches

1 “Jesus got into a boat, crossed over the lake, and came back to His own town.”

2 “Some dudes brought a paralyzed man on a mat to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, ‘Listen, take heart, son. Your sins are forgiven.’”

3 “Some of the religious teachers were like, ‘This guy is disrespecting God!’”

4 “Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, ‘Why are you all tripping in your hearts?’”

5 “‘What is easier to say: “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Get up and walk”?’”

6 “‘But to show you all that I got authority on earth to forgive sins…’ He turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Get up, grab your mat, and go home.’”

7 “The man got up and went home, just like that.”

8 “When the crowd saw it, they were in awe and praised God for giving such authority to a man.”

The Calling of Matthew

9 “As Jesus was walking, He saw a guy named Matthew sitting at a tax booth. Jesus said, ‘Follow Me.’ Matthew got up and followed Him, no hesitation.”

10 “Later, Jesus was chilling at Matthew’s house, and a bunch of tax collectors and other shady folks came through to eat with Him and His disciples.”

11 “The Pharisees saw this and asked His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher hanging with these sinners?’”

12 “Jesus heard them and said, ‘Healthy people do not need a doctor, sick people do.’”

13 “‘Go learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I did not come to call righteous people, but sinners.’”

Questions About Fasting

14 “John’s disciples came up to Jesus and asked, ‘How come we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not?’”

15 “Jesus said, ‘Can the guests at a wedding fast while the groom is still there, Nah. But when the groom’s gone, then they will fast.’”

16 “‘Nobody patches old clothes with new fabric, or the patch will tear away, making the rip worse.’”

17 “‘And you do not put new wine in old wineskins. If you do, the skins will burst, and the wine spills. Nah, you put new wine in new wineskins, and both are good.’”

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

18 “While Jesus was talking, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him, saying, ‘My daughter just died, but if You touch her, she will live.’”

19 “Jesus got up, and He and His disciples followed the man.”

20 “On the way, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His robe.”

21 “She thought, ‘If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.’”

22 “Jesus turned around, saw her, and said, ‘Take heart, daughter. Your faith has healed you.’ And she was healed right then.”

23 “When Jesus got to the synagogue leader’s house, He saw the noisy crowd and people crying.”

24 “He said, ‘You all need to chill. The girl is not dead; she is just sleeping.’ They laughed at Him.”

25 “After the crowd was sent out, Jesus went in, took her by the hand, and she got up.”

26 “Word about this spread all over the place.”

Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

27 “Two blind men followed Jesus, shouting, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’”

28 “When He went inside, the blind men came up to Him. Jesus asked, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Yes, Lord.’”

29 “Jesus touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith, let it be done.’”

30 “Their eyes opened, and they could see! Jesus warned them, ‘Do not tell anyone about this.’”

31 “But they could not help it and spread the news about Him all over the area.”

32 “While they were leaving, some people brought a man who was mute and demon-possessed to Jesus.”

33 “Jesus drove out the demon, and the man started talking. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘We have never seen anything like this in Israel!’”

34 “But the Pharisees said, ‘He is driving out demons with the help of the prince of demons.’”

The Workers Are Few

35 “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news, and healing every sickness and disease.”

36 “When He saw the crowds, His heart broke for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, lost and helpless.”

37 “He told His disciples, ‘The harvest is big, but the workers are few.”

38 “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers out into His fields.”