Study Desk

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God's word,^(a) He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.^[a](b)

He saw two boats at the edge of the lake;^[b] the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boats,^(c) which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down^[c] your nets for a catch." ^(d)

"Master,"^(e) Simon replied, "we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I'll let down the nets."^[d]

When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets^[e] began to tear.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; 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, because I'm a sinful man, Lord!"

For he and all those with him were amazed^[f] at the catch of fish they took,

and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners. "Don't be afraid," ^(f) Jesus told Simon. "From now on you will be catching people!" ^(g)

Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.^(h)

While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him.⁽ⁱ⁾ He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean," and immediately the disease left him.

Then He ordered him to tell no one: "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them."

But the news^[g] about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.^(j)

On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law^(k) were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord's power to heal was in Him.^(l)

Just then some men came,^(m) carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him.

Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

Seeing their faith He said, "Friend,^[h] your sins are forgiven you."

Then the scribes and the Pharisees⁽ⁿ⁾ began to think: "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"^(o)

But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, "Why are you thinking this in your hearts?^[i]

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

But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" —He told the paralyzed man, "I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home."

Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe^(p) and said, "We have seen incredible things today!"

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,^(q) and He said to him, "Follow Me!"

So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.

Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests^[j] with them.^(r)

But the Pharisees and their scribes^(s) were complaining to His disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

Jesus replied to them, "The healthy don't need a doctor, but the sick do.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Then they said to Him, "John's disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but Yours eat and drink."^[k]

Jesus said to them, "You can't make the wedding guests^[l] fast while the groom is with them, can you?

But the time^[m] will come^(t) when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days."

He also told them a parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined.

But new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.^[n]

And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.'" ^[o]

On a Sabbath,^[a] He passed through the grainfields.^(a) His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry—

how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?^(b) He even gave some to those who were with him." ^(c)

Then He told them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

On another Sabbath^(d) He entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed.

The scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely,^(e) to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against Him.^(f)

But He knew their thoughts^(g) and told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up and stand here." ^[b] So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to destroy it?" ^(h)

After looking around at them all,⁽ⁱ⁾ He told him, "Stretch out your hand." ^(j) He did so, and his hand was restored.^[c]

They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

During those days He went out to the mountain to pray^(k) and spent all night in prayer to God.

When daylight came, He summoned His disciples,^(l) and He chose 12 of them—He also named them apostles:^(m)

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

Matthew and Thomas;⁽ⁿ⁾ James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot;

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

After coming down with them, He stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.^(o)

They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well.

The whole crowd was trying to touch Him,^(p) because power was coming out from Him and healing them all.^(q)

Then looking up at^[d] His disciples, He said:^(r) You who are poor are blessed, because the kingdom of God is yours.

You who are now hungry are blessed, because you will be filled. You who now weep are blessed, because you will laugh.

You are blessed when people hate you, when they exclude you,^(s) insult you, and slander your name as evil ^(t) because of the Son of Man. ^(u)

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets. ^(v)

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort.

Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you^[e] who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you ^[f] when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets. ^(w)

"But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,

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

If anyone hits you on the cheek,^(y) offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either.

Give to everyone who asks you, and from one who takes your things, don't ask for them back.

Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.^(z)

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

If you do what is 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 to receive, what credit is that to you?^(ab) Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.^(ac) For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. ^(ad)

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

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap.^(ag) For with the measure you use,^[g] it will be measured back to you." ^(ah)

He also told them a parable: "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit?^(ai)

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. ^(aj)

"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck in your brother's eye.

"A good tree doesn't produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn't produce good fruit.^(ak)

For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren't gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.

A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

"Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?^(al)

I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them:^(am)

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep^[h] and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn't shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!" ^(an)