The tax collector Levi (Matthew) is called by Jesus. Notice Levi got up and followed.  The fishermen had done a similar thing. When Jesus called, they followed. The fishermen however could go back to fishing (which they did). Once Matthew left his lucrative tax collecting business, he burned a bridge. He couldn’t go back. 

John 5:1-3, 5-9 records a significant miracle performed by Jesus, a man who had been an invalid for 38 years.  Jesus posed an interesting question to the man, "Do you want to get well?"  The man responds with an excuse that appears very valid.  "There is no one to help me get into the water."  The man has been there for 38 years.  In all that time there hasn't been a single person to help him get into the water???  Perhaps Jesus' question to him is more than just a simple question.  Jesus told him to get up and walk.  Scripture says the man was cured.  However, in the original Greek, it says " made to be sound or well". The word cured is not exactly the correct word in this context.  The Greek word for sound or well means figuratively "teaching that does not deviate from the truth." Sounds as if Jesus gave the man a bit of an attitude adjustment. When Jesus saw the invalid man later He said, "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."  This implies that the man had been sinning in some way. Perhaps pretending to be an invalid or not really wanting to be cured?

Some significant pieces of Scripture in today’s reading.

John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

John 5:28-29
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

John 5:25
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

God the Father raises ALL the dead. Only those who hear Jesus’ voice will live forever. They are the ones who know Him and have salvation.  Those who are raised and do not know Jesus will die the second death.

John 5:46
If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.

Moses…wrote about Jesus??? How can this be???  Isn't this an interesting little treasure hidden away? How many people miss the significance of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, simply because they do not read and understand the Old Testament?  How did Moses know what to write about Jesus? Because he met with the Son of God face to face as a friend would meet with a friend.  (you can find this in the book of Exodus 33).

See the booklet Encounters With God the Son available on Amazon.

Jesus is reported as going through the grainfields on the Sabbath and picking heads of grain.  Most likely what they were picking were the gleanings left over in the fields for the poor.  Jesus would not have encouraged theft.  Besides, the Pharisees were only condemning Jesus because of the "work" done by the disciples on the Sabbath.

Several times Jesus gives strict orders to the demons and evil spirits not to tell who He was. Why?

Luke 6:12-13
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

Jesus had many disciples or followers, not just the twelve. A disciple is someone who wants to learn. Many people followed Jesus around to learn from Him. But Jesus chose twelve to become apostles (sent out). He chose these twelve (including Judas) to be the ones to send out and be the leaders of the others. Interesting that Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing the twelve. If Jesus spent the night in prayer with His heavenly Father, shouldn’t we spend time in prayer with Him too?