He came into his own city, Capernaum and someone brought him a paralyzed man who was laying on a bed. Strangely, Jesus tells the man that his sins have been forgiven right away. Some of the scribes in the audience accuse Jesus of blasphemy for thinking he was capable of doing what only God could: forgive sins. When the paralytic responded, he said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” The paralytic then got up and left. When people saw it, they were frightened but they also recognized God’s work and gave appropriate praise.
When Jesus sees Matthew seated in a booth doing tax collection, He calls another of the twelve disciples. Tax collectors, like Matthew, were seen by the people of Israel as immoral traitors. When Jesus went by Matthew, Jesus also said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
In Matthew Chapter 9:10 “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples” Jesus’ disciples are questioned by the Pharisees about why He eats with such people when Jesus heard it, He responded, “Those who are sick need a doctor, not the healthy. Go and understand what it means when it says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Jesus tells those who disagree with Him to go learn the Scriptures to understand what it means when God states that He prefers mercy over sacrifice.
Jesus continues to do miracles on the people of Capernaum, including bringing back the dead. A man comes up to Jesus and begs him to heal his daughter, who has already passed away. Along the path, Jesus comes across a young girl who has a blood illness and instantly heals her by having her touch his clothing.
Jesus finds the girl “sleeping” at the man’s house when He gets there and raises her from the dead. The word of this specific healing has traveled far and wide. Jesus continues to perform miracles of healing by giving sight to two blind men and a demon-possessed mute.
