291 Then Jacob went on his journey till he came to the land of the children of the East. 2 And there he saw a water-hole in a field, and by the side of it three flocks of sheep, for there they got water for the sheep: and on the mouth of the water-hole there was a great stone. 3 And all the flocks would come together there, and when the stone had been rolled away, they would give the sheep water, and put the stone back again in its place on the mouth of the water-hole. 4 Then Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran. 5 And he said to them, Have you any knowledge of Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, We have. 6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep. 7 Then Jacob said, The sun is still high and it is not time to get the cattle together: get water for the sheep and go and give them their food. 8 And they said, We are not able to do so till all the flocks have come together and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the water-hole; then we will get water for the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them. 10 Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock. 11 And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss. 12 And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it. 13 And Laban, hearing news of Jacob, his sister's son, came running, and took Jacob in his arms, and kissing him, made him come into his house. And Jacob gave him news of everything. 14 And Laban said to him, Truly, you are my bone and my flesh. And he kept Jacob with him for the space of a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. 18 And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. 20 And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended. 22 And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast. 23 And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman. 25 And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me? 26 And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older. 27 Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years. 28 And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife. 29 And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman. 30 Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.
31 Now the Lord, seeing that Leah was not loved, gave her a child; while Rachel had no children. 32 And Leah was with child, and gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name Reuben: for she said, The Lord has seen my sorrow; now my husband will have love for me. 33 Then she became with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Because it has come to the Lord's ears that I am not loved, he has given me this son in addition: and she gave him the name Simeon. 34 And she was with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Now at last my husband will be united to me, because I have given him three sons: so he was named Levi. 35 And she was with child again, and gave birth to a son: and she said, This time I will give praise to the Lord: so he was named Judah; after this she had no more children for a time.
301 Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living. 2 But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit? 3 Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her. 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son. 6 Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan. 7 And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son. 8 And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali. 9 When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son. 11 And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad. 12 And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son. 13 And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.
14 Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits. 15 But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits. 16 In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night. 17 And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar. 19 And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son. 20 And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun. 21 After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah. 22 Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. 23 And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame. 24 And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.
25 Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you. 27 And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you. 28 Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it. 29 Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care. 30 For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family? 31 And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me: 32 Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment. 33 And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief. 34 And Laban said, Let it be as you say. 35 So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons; 36 And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.
37 Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands. 38 And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water. 39 And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour. 40 These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock. 41 And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's. 43 So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.
91 And he got into a boat and went across and came to his town. 2 And they took to him a man stretched on a bed who had no power of moving; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was ill, Son, take heart; you have forgiveness for your sins. 3 And some of the scribes said among themselves, This man has no respect for God. 4 And Jesus, having knowledge of what was in their minds, said, Why are your thoughts evil? 5 For which is the simpler, to say, You have forgiveness for your sins; or to say, Get up and go? 6 But so that you may see that on earth the Son of man has authority for the forgiveness of sins, (then said he to the man who was ill,) Get up, and take up your bed, and go to your house. 7 And he got up and went away to his house. 8 But when the people saw it they were full of fear, and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men.
9 And when Jesus was going from there, he saw a man whose name was Matthew, seated at the place where taxes were taken; and he said to him, Come after me. And he got up and went after him. 10 And it came about, when he was in the house taking food, that a number of tax-farmers and sinners came and took their places with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does your Master take food with tax-farmers and sinners? 12 But on hearing this he said, Those who are well have no need of a medical man, but those who are ill. 13 But go and take to heart the sense of these words, My desire is for mercy, not offerings: for I have come not to get the upright, but sinners.
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees frequently go without food, but your disciples do not? 15 And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of the newly-married man be sad as long as he is with them? But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, and then will they go without food. 16 And no man puts a bit of new cloth on an old coat, for by pulling away from the old, it makes a worse hole. 17 And men do not put new wine into old wine-skins; or the skins will be burst and the wine will come out, and the skins are of no more use: but they put new wine into new wine-skins, and so the two will be safe.
(Read Matthew 9:1-8)
The faith of the friends of the paralytic in bringing him to Christ, was a strong faith; they firmly believed that Jesus Christ both could and would heal him. A strong faith regards no obstacles in pressing after Christ. It was a humble faith; they brought him to attend on Christ. It was an active faith. Sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness not be removed; the sickness may be removed, yet the sin not pardoned: but if we have the comfort of peace with God, with the comfort of recovery from sickness, this makes the healing a mercy indeed. This is no encouragement to sin. If thou bring thy sins to Jesus Christ, as thy malady and misery to be cured of, and delivered from, it is well; but to come with them, as thy darlings and delight, thinking still to retain them and receive him, is a gross mistake, a miserable delusion. The great intention of the blessed Jesus in the redemption he wrought, is to separate our hearts from sin. Our Lord Jesus has perfect knowledge of all that we say within ourselves. There is a great deal of evil in sinful thoughts, which is very offensive to the Lord Jesus. Christ designed to show that his great errand to the world was, to save his people from their sins. He turned from disputing with the scribes, and spake healing to the sick man. Not only he had no more need to be carried upon his bed, but he had strength to carry it. God must be glorified in all the power that is given to do good.
(Read Matthew 9:9)
Matthew was in his calling, as the rest of those whom Christ called. As Satan comes with his temptations to the idle, so Christ comes with his calls to those who are employed. We are all naturally averse from thee, O God; do thou bid us to follow thee; draw us by thy powerful word, and we shall run after thee. Speak by the word of the Spirit to our hearts, the world cannot hold us down, Satan cannot stop our way, we shall arise and follow thee. A saving change is wrought in the soul, by Christ as the author, and his word as the means. Neither Matthew's place, nor his gains by it, could detain him, when Christ called him. He left it, and though we find the disciples, who were fishers, occasionally fishing again afterwards, we never more find Matthew at his sinful gain.
(Read Matthew 9:10-13)
Some time after his call, Matthew sought to bring his old associates to hear Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not despair concerning them. Those who are effectually brought to Christ, cannot but desire that others also may be brought to him. Those who suppose their souls to be without disease will not welcome the spiritual Physician. This was the case with the Pharisees; they despised Christ, because they thought themselves whole; but the poor publicans and sinners felt that they wanted instruction and amendment. It is easy, and too common, to put the worst constructions upon the best words and actions. It may justly be suspected that those have not the grace of God themselves, who are not pleased with others' obtaining it. Christ's conversing with sinners is here called mercy; for to promote the conversion of souls is the greatest act of mercy. The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our minds, and to change our ways. If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no need for Christ to come among them. Let us examine whether we have found out our sickness, and have learned to follow the directions of our great Physician.
(Read Matthew 9:14-17)
John was at this time in prison; his circumstances, his character, and the nature of the message he was sent to deliver, led those who were peculiarly attached to him, to keep frequent fasts. Christ referred them to John's testimony of him, John 3:29. Though there is no doubt that Jesus and his disciples lived in a spare and frugal manner, it would be improper for his disciples to fast while they had the comfort of his presence. When he is with them, all is well. The presence of the sun makes day, and its absence produces night. Our Lord further reminded them of common rules of prudence. It was not usual to take a piece of rough woolen cloth, which had never been prepared, to join to an old garment, for it would not join well with the soft, old garment, but would tear it further, and the rent would be made worse. Nor would men put new wine into old leathern bottles, which were going to decay, and would be liable to burst from the fermenting of the wine; but putting the new wine into strong, new, skin bottles, both would be preserved. Great caution and prudence are necessary, that young converts may not receive gloomy and forbidding ideas of the service of our Lord; but duties are to be urged as they are able to bear them.
