The Gospel of Matthew for Readers | Page 7

so fierce that no man dared pass them. They cried out, What
have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come here to
torment us before the time?
At a distance from them was a herd of swine. The devils said to Him, If
thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine. Jesus said to
them, Go. When they came out of the men, they went into the herd of
swine. Behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep
place into the sea and perished in the waters. The herders who kept
them fled into the city and told everything including what happened to
those possessed by the devils. Then the whole city came out to see
Jesus and, when they saw Him, they besought Him to depart from their
coasts.
9 He took a boat to His own city. There they brought to Him a man
with palsy who was lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the
sick man; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.
Behold, certain of the scribes said, This man blasphemes. And, Jesus
knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Is
it easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee or Arise and walk? So ye may
know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (then He
said to the sick man) Arise, take up thy bed and go to thy house. The
man did get up and went to his house. When the multitude saw it, they
marvelled and glorified God who had given such power.
When Jesus left there He saw a man sitting at the receipt of custom. He

said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed Him. As Jesus sat
at dinner, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and
His disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples,
Why does your master eat with publicans and sinners? When Jesus
heard this, He said, Those who are well do not need a physician, but
those who are sick do. Go and learn what that means. I will have mercy
and not revenge because I have not come to call the righteous, but to
call sinners to repentance.
Then John's disciples came to Him and asked, Why do we and the
Pharisees often fast, but thy disciples do not fast? Jesus said to them,
Can the children of the bridechamber mourn as long as the bridegroom
is with them? The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken
from them and then they will fast.
No man uses a piece of new cloth to patch an old garment for that
which is put in to cover the space takes from the garment and the rent is
worse than before. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else
the bottles break, the wine runs out and the bottles perish. They put
new wine into new bottles and both are preserved. While He spoke
these things there came a certain ruler who worshipped Him and said,
My daughter is almost now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her
and she shall live. Jesus arose and followed him, and His disciples
came along also.
On the way, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for
twelve years came up behind Him. She touched the hem of His garment
because she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment I shall
be healed. Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said,
Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith has made thee whole. The
woman was healed from that hour.
Finally, when Jesus arrived at the ruler's house, He saw many mourners.
He said to them, Stand aside. The maid is not dead but sleeps. They
laughed Him to scorn. But when the people moved aside, He went in,
took her by the hand, and she arose. This news spread abroad into all
that land.
When Jesus left there, two blind men followed Him. They cried, Thou
son of David, have mercy on us. When He entered a house, the blind
men came to Him. Jesus said to them, Believe ye that I am able to do
this? They said to Him, Yea, Lord. Then He touched their eyes and said,

According to your faith be it done unto you. Their eyes were opened.
Then Jesus charged them to make sure that no man knew of this. But,
after they departed, they spread His fame all around that country.
As they were leaving that place a mute man possessed with a devil was
brought to Jesus. When the devil was