the people in the house believed in
Jesus.

The Jews could not bear paying taxes to the Romans, and they hated the
publicans. They would not eat with them or talk with them. But Jesus
did not hate the publicans. He only hated the wrong things they did.
So one day, when He was outside the town of Capernaum, and saw Matthew
sitting and taking the taxes, He said to him, 'Follow Me.' And Matthew
got up from his work, and at once left all and followed Jesus.

Jesus often told His disciples beautiful stories. One day He told them
a story to teach them not to be proud like the Pharisees. 'Two men
went up into the Temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I
thank Thee that I am not as other men are; I thank Thee that I am not
even as this publican. Twice a week I go without food, and I give away
a great deal of money. But the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. When the publican went home
that night he was better and happier than the Pharisee. The Pharisee
_thought_ he was good; he did not want to be forgiven, and so God let
him carry all his sins back home with him again. But the publican
_knew_ he was a sinner, and was sorry, and so God forgave his sins.'

While Jesus was in Capernaum, He went every Sabbath day to teach in the
synagogue. One day a man shouted out--

'What have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? I know Thee who
Thou art, the Holy One of God.'

Satan had put an unclean spirit, or devil, in that man. Jesus was not
angry with the poor man, but He spoke to the unclean spirit, and said,
'Be silent, and come out of him.' He came out, and the man became
well. The people in the synagogue were greatly surprised. They said,
'What thing is this? He commandeth even the unclean spirits and they
obey Him.'

When the service was over, the people who had seen the miracle went
home, and talked to everybody about what they had seen. Some of them
had sick friends, and some had friends with unclean spirits, and they
longed to bring them to Jesus. But it was the Sabbath, and they would
not bring them until the evening, at which time their Sabbath came to
an end. So as soon as the sun set that Sabbath day, a great crowd was
seen standing round Peter's house. It seemed as if all the people of
Capernaum must be