Peter's mother-in-law lived in Capernaum. Once, when Jesus came to her house, she had a bad fever. He took her by the hand and all at once she was well. She got up and started getting supper. That evening everyone with sick friends brought them to Jesus, and He cured them all.
Another day, as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a man possessed by a devil came in. The devil cried, "Let us alone, Jesus of Nazareth. Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God."
"Be quiet," said Jesus, "and come out of him."
The devil left the man and everyone was amazed. "Even the devils obey Him," they said.
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There was a man with a very bad skin disease, leprosy, who came to Jesus. "Lord," he said, "You can cure me if You will."
Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him.
"It is My will," He said. "Be healed." The man was well from that moment.
Jesus told the man who had been cured of his leprosy, "Do not tell anyone except the priest to whom you must offer a gift for your cure." (The Law of Moses said that such a gift must be offered.)
But the man did not keep quiet at all. So many people came to Jesus that He could not go into the large cities openly any more, but lived in lonely places. Even so, more and more people came to hear Him and be healed. Sometimes He would go away into the desert and pray there.
+ + +
After some days He came back to Capernaum again. Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting by who had come from all over Israel. Some men appeared carrying their lame friend on a kind of stretcher. They wanted to bring him in for Jesus to heal him, but there was no way to get in the house, the crowd was so dense. So they went up on the roof and lowered the stretcher through the tiles - right into the space in front of Jesus.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said, "My friend, your sins are forgiven you." The teachers of the Law and Pharisees began to think this over.
"Who can forgive sin besides God alone? What right does this man have to talk this way?" Jesus knew what they were thinking. He answered this way, "What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," - He said to the lame man - "I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home." Right away, before their very eyes, he got up, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home praising God.
They were all amazed, and praised God, and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen strange things today."
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Once as Jesus was entering Capernaum, a Roman officer came asking Him to cure his servant, who was very ill. "I will come to your house," said Jesus. But the Roman said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have You under my roof; only give the command and my servant will be well."
"I have not found such great faith even in Israel," Jesus said to the people about Him. To the officer He said, "Go, your servant is cured."
+ + +
Another foreigner, a Canaanite woman, confronted Jesus in His travels. She was shouting to Him, "Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. A devil torments my daughter." But Jesus did not answer. His disciples begged Him, "Give her what she wants, because she is shouting after us." Jesus replied, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. "Lord," she said, "help me." He answered, "It is not right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She retorted, "Ah yes, sir; but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted." From that moment, her daughter was well again.
+ + Jesus Raises the Dead to Life + +
As Jesus was going to the city of Naim, He met a funeral coming from the city. A widow walked beside the dead boy, crying. He was her only son.
"Do not cry," Jesus said. Then He said to the dead boy, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" The boy sat up and spoke, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
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Once Jesus was asked by a man called Jairus to come and cure his twelve-year-old daughter. They were on their way to Jairus' house when a messenger came to say she had died.
"Do not be afraid," said Jesus. "Only believe, and she will get well." Jairus' house was full of people crying. "The girl is not dead," said Jesus, "only asleep."
They all laughed at Him: they knew she was dead. But Jesus took her by the hand and said, "Little maid, arise!" and she got up, quite well. Her parents were too surprised to know what to do. "Why, give her something to eat," said Jesus.
+ John's Disciples Question Jesus +
John the Baptist was still in prison. His disciples visited him and told him about Jesus. John wanted them to understand who Jesus was, so he sent them to Him with a message: "Are you the Messiah, or are we to wait for someone else?"
While they were there, Jesus worked many miracles. Then He said to them, "Go and tell John what you have seen: The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead come back to life, and the poor have the Gospel - which means Good News – preached to them. Blessed is he who does not lose confidence in Me."
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