002:012 The man rose, and immediately under the eyes of all took
up his mat and went out, so that they were all filled
with astonishment, gave the glory to God, and said,
"We never saw anything like this."
002:013 Again He went out to the shore of the Lake, and the whole
multitude kept coming to Him, and He taught them.
002:014 And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus
sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me."
So he rose and followed Him.
002:015 When He was sitting at table in Levi's house, a large number
of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were at table
with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many such who
habitually followed Him.
002:016 But when the Scribes of the Pharisee sect saw Him eating with
the sinners and the tax-gatherers, they said to His disciples,
"He is eating and drinking with the tax-gatherers and sinners!"
002:017 Jesus heard the words, and He said, "It is not the healthy
who require a doctor, but the sick: I did not come to appeal
to the righteous, but to sinners."
002:018 (Now John's disciples and those of the Pharisees were keeping
a fast.) And they came and asked Him, "How is it that
John's disciples and those of the Pharisees are fasting,
and yours are not?"
002:019 "Can a wedding party fast while the bridegroom is among them?"
replied Jesus. "So long as they have the bridegroom with them,
fasting is impossible.
002:020 But a time will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away
from them; then they will fast.
002:021 No one mends an old garment with a piece of unshrunk cloth.
Otherwise, the patch put on would tear away from it--
the new from the old--and a worse hole would be made.
002:022 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine
would burst the skins, and both wine and skins would be lost.
New wine needs fresh skins!"
002:023 One Sabbath He was walking through the wheatfields when His
disciples began to pluck the ears of wheat as they went.
002:024 So the Pharisees said to Him, "Look! why are they doing what on
the Sabbath is unlawful?"
002:025 "Have you never read," Jesus replied, "what David did when
the necessity arose and he and his men were hungry:
002:026 how he entered the house of God in the High-priesthood of Abiathar,
and ate the Presented Loaves--which none but the priests
are allowed to eat--and gave some to his men also?"
002:027 And Jesus said to them: "The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath;