:*Neither Matthew 4:18-22 nor Mark 1:16-20 state that "they left everything". Luke does.
:There is no substantial textual basis for asserting that Luke is relating a variation of the first calling of the disciples as related by Matthew and Mark.
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"'''What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea ''obey'' him?'''" <small>
:Matthew 8:27
:"'''obey'''". The centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 acknowledged by faith the reality of the obedience of nature to the word of Jesus. Here again nature obeys. Throughout this ''Harmony of the Gospel (Conservative Version)'' the words "'''obey'''" and "'''obedience'''" are consistently highlighted with boldface emphasis. The issue of obedience to proper authority and the obedience of faith is fundamental to the understanding of righteousness as revealed within the whole context of the Bible. Obedience is an act of the will. If man, male and female, has no free will, disobedience to the will of God is not possible, for they only act according to their nature, "and by those things that they know by instinct as irrational animals do, they are destroyed" Jude 10 (RSVCE). Human beings can choose to disobey. That is why faith and obedience without the coercion of fear and pain are free acts of the will. The will of men can be enslaved in bondage to the will of Satan through fear of death. Hebrews 2:15.<br>See the article '''[[Free will]]'''.
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:The differences in the three narratives are enough to justify presenting each of them as separate accounts in any Harmony of the Gospels. In each case the spiritual and theological lesson is the same. Each of the three [[Synoptic gospels|synoptic Gospels]] uses one.
:The faith of the men who brought a paralytic to Jesus was visible and active: "He saw their faith". In each passage of this Bible narrative, men showed their faith by what they did, by the working of their faith. These Bible passages illustrate the doctrine of James 2:14-26, ''in particular'' [http://biblehub.com/multi/james/2-24.htm '''James 2:24'''] <br> "'''You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone'''". <br> The same doctrine is found in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A14-18&version=RSVCE 1 John 3:14-18] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=RSVCE Matthew 25:31-46], <br> also [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A12-13&version=RSVCE Philippians 2:12-13] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A10&version=RSVCE Ephesians 2:10].
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"'''Matthew'''" and "'''Levi'''". <small>
:Matthew 9:9 the name "Matthew" , and Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27 the name "Levi"
:Tradition holds that both "Matthew" and "Levi" are the names of the apostle and evangelist [[Matthew the Apostle|Saint Matthew]], yet this has been debated.
Subsequently, as the crowd pressed against Him to hear God's word, Jesus stood on the shore of Gennesaret's lake, Jesus noticed two boats at the seaside, but their fishermen had left them to wash their nets. Jesus boarded one of the boats, which was Simon's, and urged him to drift away a bit from the shore. Jesus was then seated, and taught the crowd from the boat. Upon finishing preaching, Jesus said to Simon, "Head out where it is deep, and lower your nets for a catch." Simon responded, "Boss, we worked all night, and caught nothing; but your wish is my command." Whereupon they caught an enormous surplus of fish, causing their net to break. They wave over their partners, who were in the other boat, for them to join and help. Those came and filled both boats with the fish, so much so they began to sink. When Simon Peter observed this, he knelt before Jesus, saying "Leave me Lord, for I am a sinful man. Simon was overcome, as were his colleagues, at their catch of the fish. And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. Jesus told Simon, "Be not afraid, from here on you shall catch men." They landed their boats, and gave up everything to follow Him.
Now when Jesus saw great crowds of people around him, He gave orders to leave for the other side. And a certain scribe came, and told Him, "Master, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of man has no place to rest His head." And another of His pupils said to him, "Lord, first permit me to go to bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own." And when He had gone into a boat, His pupils followed Him. And behold, a great storm arose on the lake, so much that the boat was swamped with the waves. But He was asleep. And His pupils came to Him, and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us; we're dying!" And He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and a great calm fell. But the men were amazed, saying, "What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the sea '''obey ''' Him!" And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no man dared pass by that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" And a herd of many pigs was feeding a fair distance from them. So the demons begged Him, saying, "If you're going to throw us out, let us go away into the herd of pigs." And He said to them, "Go." And when they came out of the two men, they went into the herd of pigs. And the entire herd of pigs ran pell-mell down a steep bank into the sea, and drowned in the waters. And those who had been keeping the pigs ran away, and went back into the city, and told about everything that had happened, and what had happened to the formerly demon-possessed men. And then the entire city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to go away from their coasts.
And He boarded a boat, and crossed the lake, and came into His own city. And they brought to Him a paralyzed man, lying on a pallet. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, cheer up; your sins are forgiven you." And some of the scribes said among themselves, "This man is speaking blasphemy." And Jesus, Who knew what they were thinking, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? "For which would be easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or 'Get up and walk'? "But so that you may know that the Son of man has the authority on earth to forgive sins..." Then He said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take up your pallet, and go to your house." And he got up and went away to his house. But when the crowds saw it, they were very much afraid, and gave glory to God, Who had given power like that to men. And as Jesus walked away from that place, He saw a man, Matthew by name, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he got up and followed Him. And it came to pass, as He reclined to dine in the house, many tax-gatherers and sinners came and reclined with Him and His pupils. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His pupils, "Why is your Master eating with tax-gatherers and sinners?" But when Jesus heard that, He told them, "The well do not need to see the doctor, but the sick do. "But you go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I haven't come here to call the just, but sinners to change their hearts."