The First Disciples (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; John 1:35–42)
1 UST One day while many people were crowding around Jesus and listening to him teach God’ s message, he was standing next to Lake Gennesaret. BSB BSB: On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,
2 UST He saw two fishing boats there at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left the boats and were washing their fishing nets. BSB BSB: He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
3 UST Jesus stepped into one of the two boats, the one that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to move the boat out a short distance away from the shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the crowds from there. BSB BSB: Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.
4 UST After he finished teaching them, he said to Simon,“Take the boat out to deeper water and let your nets down into the water to catch some fish.” BSB BSB: When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 UST Simon replied,“Master, we worked hard through the whole night and yet we did not catch any fish. But I will let down the nets again because you told me to.” BSB BSB: “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 UST So Simon and his crew let down their nets and they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. BSB BSB: When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.
7 UST They motioned to their fishing partners in the other boat to come and help them. So they came and filled both boats so full with fish that the boats began to sink. BSB BSB: So they signaled to 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.
9 UST { He said this} because he marveled at the huge number of fish that they had caught. All the men who were with him also marveled. BSB BSB: For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
10 UST James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’ s partners, were just as amazed. But Jesus said to Simon,“Do not be afraid!{ Until now you gathered in fish, but} from now on you will gather in people to become my disciples.” BSB BSB: and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
11 UST So after the men brought the boats to the shore, they left their fishing business and everything else and went with Jesus. BSB BSB: And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.
The Leper’s Prayer (Leviticus 14:1–32; Matthew 8:1–4; Mark 1:40–45)
12 UST Jesus went to one of the towns nearby. There was a man there who was covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed down to the ground in front of him. He pleaded with him,“Lord,{ please heal me!} I know that you are able to heal me if you are willing!” BSB BSB: While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 UST Then Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. He said,“I am willing to heal you, and I heal you now!” Immediately the man was healed. He no longer had leprosy! BSB BSB: Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 UST Then Jesus told him,“Do not tell anyone that I healed you. First, go and show yourself to a priest so that he can examine you and see that you no longer have leprosy. Bring the sacrifice that Moses commanded you to offer to become ceremonially clean again.” BSB BSB: “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
15 UST But instead even more people heard{ about how Jesus had healed the man}. As a result, large crowds came to hear{ Jesus teach} and to have him heal them from their sicknesses. BSB BSB: But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
16 UST But he would often go away from them to isolated areas and pray. BSB BSB: Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic (Matthew 9:1–8; Mark 2:1–12)
17 UST One day when Jesus was teaching, some men from the Pharisee sect and some expert teachers of the Jewish law were sitting nearby. They had come from many villages in the district of Galilee and also from Jerusalem and other cities in the province of Judea. At that same time, the Lord was giving Jesus the power to heal people. BSB BSB: One day Jesus was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. People had come from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.
18 UST While Jesus was there, several men brought him a man who was paralyzed{. They were carrying the man} on a sleeping pad and trying to bring him into the house to lay him down in front of Jesus. BSB BSB: Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They tried to bring him inside to set him before Jesus,
19 UST But because there was such a large crowd of people in the house, they were not able to bring him in. So they went up{ the outside steps} onto the flat roof.{ They removed some of the tiles from the roof to make an opening.} Then they lowered the man on his sleeping pad through the opening into the middle{ of the crowd}. He came down right in front of Jesus. BSB BSB: but they could not find a way through the crowd. So 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.
20 UST When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the man, he said to him,“Friend, I forgive your sins!” BSB BSB: When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 UST The teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves,“This man insults God by saying that! Nobody except God can forgive sins!” BSB BSB: But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 UST Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them,“You should not question what I said within yourselves! BSB BSB: Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
23 UST Here is something I want you to think carefully about. Which is easier to say,‘I forgive your sins,’ or,‘Get up and walk’?{ You might think that saying‘I forgive your sins’ is easier because it does not require any visible proof.} BSB BSB: Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
24 UST But I want you to know that God has given me, the Son of Man, authority to forgive people on earth their sins.{ To demonstrate that, I will also tell this man to get up.}” Then he said to the man who was paralyzed,“To you I say, get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!” BSB BSB: But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
25 UST Immediately{ the man was healed!} He got up in front of them all. He picked up the sleeping pad on which he had been lying, and he went home, praising God. BSB BSB: And immediately the man stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.
26 UST All the people there were astonished! They praised God and were completely amazed{ at what they had seen Jesus do}. They kept saying,“We have seen wonderful things today!” BSB BSB: Everyone was taken with amazement and glorified God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew 9:9–13; Mark 2:13–17)
27 UST Then Jesus left that place and saw a man named Levi who collected taxes{ for the Roman government}. He was sitting in the booth{ where the people came to pay him the taxes that the government required}. Jesus said to him,“Come with me and be my disciple!” BSB BSB: After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,
28 UST So Levi left his work and went with Jesus. BSB BSB: and Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him.
29 UST Later on Levi prepared a big feast in his own house for Jesus{ and his disciples}. There was a large group of tax collectors and others eating together with them. BSB BSB: Then Levi hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors was there, along with others who were eating with them.
30 UST Then some men who belonged to the Pharisee sect, including some of them who taught Jewish laws, complained to Jesus’ disciples. They said,“You should not be having a banquet with tax collectors and{ other} sinners.” BSB BSB: But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 UST Then Jesus said to them,“People who are well do not need a doctor. People who are sick need a doctor. BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
32 UST Similarly, I did not come from heaven to invite those who think they are righteous to come to me. On the contrary, I came to invite those who know that they are sinners to turn from their sinful behavior and come to me.” BSB BSB: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Questions about Fasting (Matthew 9:14–15; Mark 2:18–20)
33 UST Those Jewish leaders responded to Jesus,“The disciples of John the Baptizer often abstain from food and pray. The disciples of the Pharisees do that too. But your disciples keep on eating and drinking! Why do they not fast like the others?” BSB BSB: Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”
34 UST Jesus answered,“No one tells the friends of the bridegroom to fast while the wedding celebration is still going on! BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?
35 UST But some day the bridegroom will no longer be with his friends. Then, at that time, they will abstain from food.” BSB BSB: But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
The Patches and the Wineskins (Matthew 9:16–17; Mark 2:21–22)
36 UST Then Jesus gave other examples to explain what he meant. He said,“People never tear a piece of cloth from a new garment and attach it to an old garment to mend it. If they did that, they would ruin the new garment by tearing it, and the piece of cloth from the new garment would not match the old garment. BSB BSB: He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
37 UST And no one puts newly squeezed wine into old skin bags{ to store it}. If anyone did that, the skin bags would tear open{ because they would not stretch when the new wine fermented and expanded}. Then the skin bags would become useless, and the wine{ would also become useless because it} would spill out. BSB BSB: And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38 UST On the contrary, new wine must be put into new skin bags. BSB BSB: Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.
39 UST Those who have only drunk old wine do not want to try new wine, because they think,‘The old wine is good enough!’” BSB BSB: And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”