rising up to follow Jesus just as soon as he was called
showed what a brave and faithful friend he would be. The first of the
four books about Jesus bears Matthew's name.

A little while after Jesus called him, Matthew made a great feast for
Jesus at his house; and to the feast he invited many publicans, and
others whom the Jews called sinners. The Pharisees saw Jesus sitting
among these people, and they said with scorn to his disciples:

"Why does your Master sit at the table with publicans and sinners?"

Jesus heard of what these men had said, and he said:

"Those that are well do not need a doctor to cure them, but those that
are sick do need one. I go to these people because they know that they
are sinners and need to be saved. I came not to call those who think
themselves to be good, but those who wish to be made better."

One evening Jesus went alone to a mountain not far from Capernaum. A
crowd of people and his disciples followed him; but Jesus left them all,
and went up to the top of the mountain, where he could be alone. There
he stayed all night, praying to God, his Father and our Father. In the
morning, out of all his followers, he chose twelve men who should walk
with him and listen to his words, so that they might be able to teach
others in turn. Some of these men he had called before; but now he
called them again, and others with them. They were called "The Twelve,"
or "the disciples"; and after Jesus went to heaven, they were called
"The Apostles," a word which means "those who were sent out," because
Jesus sent them out to preach the gospel to the world.

[Illustration: _"I came not to call those who think themselves to be
good"_]

The names of the twelve disciples, or apostles, were these: Simon Peter
and his brother Andrew; James and John, the two sons of Zebedee; Philip
of Bethsaida, and Nathanael, who was also called Bartholomew, a name
which means "the son of Tholmai"; Thomas, who was also called Didymus, a
name which means "a twin," and Matthew the publican, or tax-gatherer;
another James, the son of Alpheus, who was called "James the Less," to
keep his name apart from the first James, the brother of John; and
Lebbeus, who was also called Thaddeus. Lebbeus was also called Judas,
but he was a different man from another Judas, whose name is always
given last. The eleventh name was another Simon, who was called "the
Cananean" or "Simon Zelotes"; and the last name was Judas Iscariot, who
was a