1Ježiš teda opäť nastúpil do člna, preplavil sa na druhý breh a prišiel do Kafarnauma, do mesta, kde býval.2Čoskoro doniesli k nemu na nosidlách porazeného človeka. Keď Ježiš videl ich vieru, povedal chorému: „Teš sa, syn môj, odpúšťajú sa ti hriechy!“3Ale niektorí z učiteľov Zákona sa pohoršovali: „Ten človek sa rúha! Na to má právo len Boh!“4Ale Ježiš čítal ich myšlienky a spýtal sa: „Prečo tak zle zmýšľate vo svojom srdci?5Čo je ľahšie povedať: Odpúšťajú sa ti hriechy, alebo: Vstaň a choď!?6Ale aby som vám dokázal, že mám tu na zemi moc odpúšťať hriechy, uzdravím tohto človeka.“ Nato sa obrátil k porazenému a povedal mu: „Vstaň a odnes si nosidlá domov!“7A porazený vstal a odišiel.
Povolanie Matúša
8Toto sa odohralo pred očami zhromaždeného zástupu. Všetci žasli a ďakovali Bohu, že dal človeku takú moc.9Keď sa Ježiš uberal ďalej, zazrel muža, ktorý sa volal Matúš, ako v colnici vyberá poplatky.„Poď so mnou a staň sa mojím učeníkom!“ vyzval ho. Matúš hneď vstal a išiel za ním.10Neskôr, keď Ježiš spolu s učeníkmi večeral v Matúšovom dome v spoločnosti mnohých ľudí pochybnej povesti, zbožní farizeji sa pohoršovali a vraveli jeho učeníkom:11„Ako si váš majster môže sadnúť za jeden stôl s takou spodinou?“12Keď to Ježiš počul, odpovedal im: „Lekára nepotrebujú zdraví, ale chorí.13Zamyslite sa nad tým, čo znamenajú staré slová Písma: Nechcem vaše obete a dary, ale chcem, aby ste boli milosrdní. Mojím poslaním tu na zemi je volať k Bohu hriešnikov, a nie spravodlivých.“14Jedného dňa prišli za Ježišom žiaci Jána Krstiteľa s otázkou. „My a farizeji často zachovávame pôst. Prečo sa tvoji učeníci takisto nepostia, ako to majú vo zvyku zbožní ľudia?“15Ježiš im odpovedal: „Žiada niekto od svadobčanov, aby boli smutní a odmietali jedlo, kým je medzi nimi ženích? Ale prídu dni, keď ženícha vytrhnú z ich stredu, a potom sa budú postiť.16Nový život z Boha sa nedá vtesnať do starých zvykov. To akoby niekto prišil na staré šaty záplatu z novej látky. Čo sa stane? Záplata sa vytrhne zo starého tkaniva a diera sa ešte zväčší.17Mladé víno predsa takisto nenalievate do mechov zo starej kože, lebo by popraskali a víno by vytieklo. Nové víno potrebuje nové mechy!“
Moc nad chorobou a smrťou
18Kým Ježiš hovoril, prišiel jeden z predstaviteľov miestnej synagógy a poklonil sa mu. „Práve mi umrela dcéra,“ povedal, „ale ty jej môžeš vrátiť život. Poď, polož na ňu ruku a ožije.“19Ježiš a jeho učeníci šli s ním.20Vtom k nemu pristúpila zozadu jedna žena, ktorá už dvanásť rokov krvácala, a dotkla sa okraja jeho šiat,21lebo si pomyslela: „Stačí, ak sa dotknem aspoň lemu jeho šiat, určite sa uzdravím.“22Ježiš sa obrátil, pozrel sa na ňu a povedal: „Teš sa, dcéra moja. Tvoja viera ťa uzdravila.“A naozaj, v tej chvíli bola žena zbavená svojho trápenia.23Keď Ježiš vošiel do domu predstaveného synagógy, kde hrala pohrebná hudba a nariekal zhromaždený dav,24povedal im: „Rozíďte sa, veď dievčatko neumrelo, iba spí.“ Ale nikto jeho slová nebral vážne a posmievali sa mu.25Keď napokon všetkých poslali preč, vstúpil do miestnosti, chytil dievčatko za ruku a ono vstalo.26Správa o tomto zázraku sa rozniesla po celom kraji.
Slepí vidia
27Len čo Ježiš vyšiel z domu predstaveného synagógy, do cesty mu vstúpili dvaja slepci a volali naňho: „Syn kráľa Dávida, zmiluj sa nad nami!“28Šli za ním až do domu, kde býval. Spýtal sa ich: „Naozaj veríte, že mám moc vrátiť vám zrak?“„Áno, Pane,“ ubezpečovali ho.29Tu sa dotkol ich očí a povedal: „Staň sa vám, ako veríte.“30V tej chvíli sa im otvorili oči. Dôrazne im prikázal, aby o tom nikomu nehovorili,31ale oni chodili po celom kraji a všade to rozhlasovali.
Nemý hovorí
32Keď odtiaľ odchádzali, priviedli k Ježišovi nemého človeka, posadnutého zlým duchom.33Ježiš démona vyhnal a muž ihneď začal hovoriť. Zástupom prebehla vlna prekvapenia: „Jakživ sme nevideli podobné zázraky!“ volali.34Ale farizeji vysvetľovali: „Vyháňa diablov, lebo jeho samého ovláda diabol, kráľ zlých duchov.“
Ježiš si povoláva apoštolov
35Potom Ježiš prechádzal všetkými mestami a dedinami, učil v židovských synagógach a hlásal radostnú zvesť o Božom kráľovstve. A všade, kde prišiel, liečil choroby každého druhu.36Bolo mu ľúto ľudí, ktorí prichádzali za ním, lebo nevedeli, na koho sa obrátiť so svojimi problémami a kde hľadať pomoc. Boli ako ovce bez pastiera.37Vtedy povedal svojim učeníkom:38„Žatva je veľká, ale žencov je málo. Preto proste Pána žatvy, aby vyslal robotníkov na svoje polia.“
1And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. (Mt 4,13; Mk 2,1)2And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 8,10; Mt 8,13; Mt 9,22; Mt 9,29; Mt 15,28; Mk 2,3; Mk 10,52; Lk 5,18; Lk 7,9; Lk 7,48; Lk 7,50; Lk 17,19; Lk 18,42; Jn 5,14; Sk 3,16; Sk 14,9; Jak 5,15)3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” (Mt 26,65; Jn 10,36)4But Jesus, knowing[1] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? (Mt 12,25; Jn 2,24)5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”7And he rose and went home.8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (Mt 28,18; Lk 7,16)
Jesus Calls Matthew
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (Mt 10,3; Mk 2,14; Mk 3,18; Lk 5,27; Lk 6,15; Sk 1,13)10And as Jesus[2] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. (Mt 5,46; Mt 11,19)11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mt 9,10; Lk 15,2)12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Oz 6,6; Mt 12,7; Mt 23,23; Mk 12,33; Lk 15,7; Jn 9,39; 1 Tim 1,15)
A Question About Fasting
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast,[3] but your disciples do not fast?” (Mt 11,2; Mt 14,12; Mt 15,2; Lk 11,1; Lk 18,12; Jn 1,35; Jn 3,25; Jn 4,1; Sk 18,25; Sk 19,3)15And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Lk 17,22; Jn 3,29; Jn 16,20)16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Joz 9,4)
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” (Mt 8,2; Mk 5,22; Lk 8,41)19And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.20And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, (Lv 15,25; Nm 15,38; Dt 22,12; Mt 14,36; Mt 23,5)21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly[4] the woman was made well. (Mt 8,13; Mt 9,2; Mt 15,28; Mt 17,18; Lk 7,50)23And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, (Zjv 18,22)24he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. (Jn 11,4; Jn 11,11; Sk 20,10)25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. (Mk 9,27; Sk 3,7; Sk 9,40; Sk 9,41)26And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” (Mt 1,1; Mt 12,23; Mt 15,22; Mt 20,30; Mt 22,42)28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” (Mt 9,2; Mk 8,25; Jn 9,6)30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” (Mt 8,4)31But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. (Mk 1,45; Mk 7,36)
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. (Mt 4,24; Mt 12,22; Lk 11,14)33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” (Mk 1,27)34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (Mt 4,23)36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Nm 27,17; 1 Kr 22,17; Ez 34,5; Mt 14,14; Mk 6,34)37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (Lk 10,2; Jn 4,35)38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 20,2; Mk 1,12; 2 Sol 3,1)