7th Sunday of Matthew

But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” ³⁷Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. ³⁸But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work. ³⁹Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. ⁴¹He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”

²⁸When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

²⁹Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” ³⁰Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

³²As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. ³³When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

³⁴But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

³⁵Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.