Study Desk

Jesus Calls His First Disciples^(a)

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.^(b)

He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.^(c)

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."^(d)

Simon answered, "Master,^(e) we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.^(f) But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.^(g)

So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"^(h)

For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid;⁽ⁱ⁾ from now on you will fish for people."

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.^(j)

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[b](l) When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone,^(m) but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded⁽ⁿ⁾ for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Yet the news about him spread all the more,^(o) so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.^(p)

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law^(r) were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.^(s)

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.

When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."^(t)

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"^(u)

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ‘Get up and walk'?

But I want you to know that the Son of Man^(v) has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.^(w) They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me,"^(y) Jesus said to him,

and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.^(z)

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors^(aa) and others were eating with them.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect^(ab) complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"^(ac)

Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."^(ad)

They said to him, "John's disciples^(af) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."

Jesus answered, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom^(ag) fast while he is with them?

But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;^(ah) in those days they will fast."

He told them this parable: "No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.'"

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath^(a)

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.^(b)

Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"^(c)

Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?^(d)

He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.^(e) And he also gave some to his companions."

Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man^(f) is Lord of the Sabbath."

On another Sabbath^(g) he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely^(h) to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.⁽ⁱ⁾

But Jesus knew what they were thinking^(j) and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"

He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious^(k) and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.^(m)

When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:⁽ⁿ⁾

Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew,^(o) Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,^(q)

who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,

and the people all tried to touch him,^(r) because power was coming from him and healing them all.^(s)

Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.^(t)

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.^(u) Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.^(v)

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you^(w) and insult you^(x) and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.^(y)

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,^(z) because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.^(aa)

"But woe to you who are rich,^(ab) for you have already received your comfort.^(ac)

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.^(ad) Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.^(ae)

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.^(af)

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,^(ah)

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.^(ai)

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.^(aj)

Do to others as you would have them do to you.^(ak)

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?^(al) Even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?^(am) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them,^(an) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children^(ao) of the Most High,^(ap) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Be merciful,^(aq) just as your Father^(ar) is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.^(at) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.^(au)

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.^(av) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."^(aw)

He also told them this parable: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?^(ax)

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.^(ay)

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.^(ba) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.^(bb)

"Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,'^(bd) and do not do what I say?^(be)

As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,^(bf) I will show you what they are like.

They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."