Jesus went to the seaside again and the multitude gathered around Him, and He taught them. Later, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said to him, Follow me. And he arose and followed Him.
And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at supper in Levi's house, many publicans and sinners also joined together with Jesus and His disciples. There now were many who followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with publicans and sinners, they asked His disciples, How is it that He eats and drinks with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard this, He said to them, Those who are whole have no need of a physician, only those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance.
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked, Why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples do not? And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.
No man sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old and the rent is made worse. And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine bursts the bottles, the wine is spilled, and the bottles are marred. New wine must be put into new bottles.
And it came to pass, that He went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and His disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as they went along. The Pharisees said to Him, Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the sabbath day? And Jesus responded, Have ye never read what David, and they that were with him, did when they had need and were hungry? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the showbread? How this was only lawful for the priests to eat? And how David also gave it to those who were with him? Then Jesus said to them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath; therefore, the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.
3 Then Jesus entered the synagogue again. Inside was a man with a withered hand. They watched to see if Jesus would heal him on the sabbath day so they might accuse Him. And Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, Step Forward. Then Jesus said to them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they remained silent.
Jesus looked at them with anger and was grieved for the hardness of their hearts. He said to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. As the man stretched it out, his hand was restored as whole as his other hand.
The Pharisees left and immediately took counsel with the Herodians about how they might get rid of Him. But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. A great multitude from Galilee, Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and Sidon came to Him when they heard all the things He did.
Jesus told His disciples He needed to get out into a small boat lest the multitude should throng Him. For He had healed many and many who had plagues now pressed upon Him just to touch Him. Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, Thou art the Son of God. Jesus directly charged them that they should not make Him known.
Then Jesus went up into a mountain. He called to whom He would and they came to Him. Here He ordained twelve to be with Him, and that He might send forth to preach, to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Then He took these twelve into a house: Simon surnamed Peter; James, the son of Zebedee, John, the brother of James (He named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder); Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.