36. Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus.
37. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!”
38. Jesus answered, “We should go to other towns around here so I can preach there too. That is the reason I came.”
39. So he went everywhere in Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and forcing out demons.
40. A man with a skin disease came to Jesus. He fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “You can heal me if you will.”
41. Jesus felt sorry for the man, so he reached out his hand and touched him and said, “I will. Be healed!”
42. Immediately the disease left the man, and he was healed.
43. Jesus told the man to go away at once, but he warned him strongly,
44. “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done.”
45. The man left there, but he began to tell everyone that Jesus had healed him, and so he spread the news about Jesus. As a result, Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. He stayed in places where nobody lived, but people came to him from everywhere.