Matthew 9 notes a number of Jesus’ teachings and corresponding healings, as well as the call of Matthew – the author of this gospel account – all while Jesus is in the routine of daily life as an itinerant rabbi. Let’s take a look:
1) V1-8 – 1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to His own town. 2Some men brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This Fellow is blaspheming!” 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Chapter eight concluded with the townsfolk whose pigs had drown thanks to Jesus’ exorcism asking Jesus to leave, and chapter nine picks up right there, with Jesus stepping back into the boat and returning to His hometown (v1). We aren’t sure how much time passes between v1-2, but the next episode of Jesus’ ministry that Matthew chooses to unveil is a well known one recorded in greater detail in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26. Some men brought Jesus their paralyzed friend, carrying him on a mat. The other accounts explain that the men could not reach Jesus with their friend because of the crowd, so they lowered the man on his mat down through the roof in order to get to Jesus. Matthew simply says, “Jesus saw their faith” (v2); the other accounts say the same thing, but they provide the illustration of the faith of this man’s friends. And in response to that faith, Jesus, rather than providing immediate physical healing for the paralytic, forgives his sins, thereby providing the more essential spiritual healing that this man needed.
V3 is an aside explaining the attitude of some of the teachers of the law that were in attendance. When they heard Jesus exclaim forgiveness of sins to this man, they immediately considered Jesus a blasphemer, for only God can forgive sins according to the law. Had Jesus not actually been God in the flesh, then He might have been rightly considered blasphemous, but we know otherwise. And Jesus put another trait of His divinity on display when He directed a question to them in v5, having known their evil thoughts (v4). He simply asked which is easier: to forgive sins or to heal physically. The answer is that forgiving sins is harder, so if Jesus could really do the harder thing (forgiving the man’s sins as He had said), then He could certainly do the easier thing, which was to heal the man physically. And so Matthew tells us in v6 that Jesus does just that, heals the paralyzed man so that he could walk home. V7 plainly says, “The man got up and went home.” And v8 reveals the response of the crowd that had gathered. “They were filled with awe; and they praised God.” They praised God, not for the mere physical healing work that Jesus did, though that was praiseworthy, but because they understood that God had also given Jesus the authority to forgive sins. And that is indeed a praiseworthy reality. Jesus forgives sins. Has He forgiven yours?
2) V9-13 – 9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. 10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ [Hosea 6:6; cf Matthew 12:7]. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Moving on, Jesus called Matthew – a despised tax collector – to be His disciple, and Matthew followed (v9). In fact, Matthew not only followed Jesus but hosted Jesus at his home for dinner, and many other shunned people of society – “sinners” – joined them (v10). The religious leaders couldn’t believe that Jesus would dine with such despicable people, much less do so in such a manner that made it public knowledge (v11)! When Jesus heard their comment (either firsthand or from His disciples moments later), He simply commented that the sick are the ones who need a doctor, not the healthy (v12).
Jesus is clearly referring to Himself as the Great Physician, and those in His dinner party that evening as the sick who need Him. If that’s not arrogance, it’s honesty, and that’s exactly what it is. Jesus speaks the truth, that the spiritually healthy – the sinless – have no need of His services, but that the sinners need Him desperately. And He has come to serve, rather than to be served. This mindset leads to His follow up comment to those who lacking understanding on this point. In v13, Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’.” He quotes from Hosea 6:6, and the religious leaders would have known that. By reading the context of that passage, they would have been able to deduce that God loves to show mercy – and He wants us to show mercy too – to those who need it; furthermore, God wants to be acknowledged as God, and that requires a constant attitude of humble repentance. That frame of mind in the children of God is far more desirable to Him than any type of works-based effort to earn His favor, which is exactly what sacrifices are, especially to the legalistic Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Jesus concludes v13 with a proclamation that He has come to call sinners, rather than the righteous into the Kingdom of God. The audacity to make such a claim reveals the boldness of Jesus in the face of the religious leaders, and it was certainly statements like this that provoked them to anger and jealousy and ultimately murderous rage.
3) V14-17 – 14Then John’s disciples came and asked Him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. 16No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Sometime later, John the Baptist sends his disciples to inquire of Jesus. They ask why Jesus’ disciples don’t practice the spiritual discipline of fasting (v14). Jesus gives a straightforward answer (v15) and elaborates with a series of analogies (v16-17). The question raised was a good one. The Pharisees, who were outwardly holy but inwardly rotten, and John the Baptist, a holy man through and through, both engaged in regular fasting to maintain and grow in piety and reverence and reliance on God – for John’s sake – or, in the case of the Pharisees, to maintain and grow the perspective of holiness unto greater glory and reputation. But Jesus and His disciples didn’t bother to fast regularly, and this left them open to mockery as gluttons and winebibbers (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). The Pharisees probably didn’t mind Jesus’ revelry in mealtime, because it only served – seemingly – to add to their respect while diminishing His; but it didn’t feel right to John the Baptist, who might have become concerned that Jesus was off-track in His mission as Messiah. We can easily perceive a person engaged in gospel freedom as sinning when we ourselves do not engage in whatever form of licentiousness their conscious’ allow while ours forbid.
Notice Jesus’ clear response in v15. There will be time for fasting when Jesus has departed; but for now, while He is physically present, it is best not to fast. Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom, while His disciples are the Bride; and of course, there’s no fasting at a wedding! Fasting is often associated with mourning or intensely focused reverence, which certainly has its place. Enjoying His humanity, Jesus found it best to glorify God with celebration and laughter and joy; and He trained His disciples best in that type of celebratory environment. It’s a model for us to strongly consider, with application in our parenting, our Bible studies, and our businesses. Legalists have a hard time in that type of environment.
Finally, Jesus elaborates on this clear statement with a couple of analogies. First in v16, Jesus explains that you don’t patch a garment with unshrunk cloth, lest the patch shrink and tear the next time you wash the garment. This analogy, and the one to follow, can be difficult for us to understand 2000 years removed from the culture and time period of Jesus. So consider some different thoughts. One commentator says, “Naturally, Jesus was not giving the disciple a sewing lesson! He was giving them a much more important lesson. Jesus was talking about the laws of God. You can only add an old principle to an old law. Likewise, you can only add a new principle to a new law. You see, Jesus leaves us clues: the old garment represents the Old Testament Law, based on the Old Covenant. The new garment represents the New Testament Covenant of grace that Jesus established by His substitution death on the cross for us. Jesus hates us mixing law and grace. It is an abomination to Him and an insult to the cross! We are never to read the Bible, pray to God, do good works, fast or make sacrifices with any motivation of keeping the old law. This is being ‘religious.’ God detests all work done with a religious mind-set. If your heart motive is not activated by the grace of God then what you consider is good is not good at all! We can’t make ourselves holy; only the cross has made us holy. This cuts across human ego, and that is what God wants it to do.”
Likewise, you don’t pour new wine into old wine skins, because the old skins will burst at the seams when the new wine ferments inside. Instead, you pour new wine into new wine skins, because when the fermentation and expansion occur, the new skins will be able to stretch and hold, thereby preserving both the wine and the wine skins (v17). Again, one commentator suggests that the context (John the Baptist’s inquiry regarding why Jesus and His disciples weren’t fasting) is tied to the likelihood of the tradition of fasting on a certain day in remembrance of a past prophet, to commemorate and remember that prophet’s teaching. But Jesus wasn’t commemorating any past prophet, because His teaching was all that mattered. The commentator says, “The new wine in this analogy is the teachings of God that are coming from the lips of the living representative of God (in this case, Jesus). The new wineskin is the physical vessel – the physical body of the living representative of God, who appears personally and also teaches by example. In this way, the living teacher can put the Truth into the context of the society and culture, preventing a ‘spoiling’ of the Truth’s meaning. The reason Jesus said this is because the Pharisees were focused upon the rituals and interpretations of teachings of ancient teachers like Abraham and Moses. Jesus was trying to let them know that in order to grasp the full meaning of those teachings, one must be hearing from Him – a living representative of God.”
4) V18-26 – 18While He was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before Him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did His disciples. 20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.” 22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. 23When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24He said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at Him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region.
While Jesus was elaborating on the reason for not fasting in response to the Jewish tradition (His teaching overrides tradition; God has no interest in our attempts to earn His favor; our works are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6); what matters is the work of Jesus and our humble and reverent, yet joyful, faith in Him), “a ruler came and knelt before Him” (v18). Here is an example of the faith God desires. This ruler, Jairus, whose “daughter had just died,” proclaimed His faith, saying, “Come and put Your hand on her, and she will live” (v18). Jesus went in response to this faith (v19), and en route, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years reach out to touch Jesus’ cloak (v20), thinking that any contact with Jesus would be enough to heal (v21). Of course, she was right. Our faith needs only be as grand as a mustard seed – the tiniest of all tree seeds – to move mountains. Truly, just as the woman thought, any contact with Jesus is enough to heal. While we learn more details from other accounts (Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56), the woman was healed and Jesus proceeded to the ruler’s house, where He somewhat secretively brought Jairus’ daughter back to life.
5) V27-38 – 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region. 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.” 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
After Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter to life, He went on and was followed by two blind men (v27). Matthew records several healings of blind men, and the other gospel accounts do as well; this particular one, however, seems to be unique to Matthew’s account. The blind men call on Jesus, referring to Him as “Son of David,” thereby acknowledging His rightful reign over the Jewish people. They likewise seem to realize that King Jesus is a servant King, willing to have mercy on His subjects. He takes them indoors (v28), perhaps to avoid drawing additional attention to His miracles, and asks for and receives their profession of faith. By seeking His favor and declaring their faith, they also acknowledge that King Jesus is a Divine King, for they declare His ability to restore their sight (v29). Finally, Jesus instructs them not to tell what happened to them on that day, but them cannot contain the good news and shared it throughout the region (v30-31).
In v32-33, Jesus immediately afterward heals a mute demon-possessed man, and, freed from the demon, the man speaks. The crowd is amazed, but the watchful eyes of the Pharisees bring them to conclude that Jesus works His miracles by Satanic power (v34). Jesus will get this accusation again in Matthew 12:22-37, which also runs parallel to Mark 3:20-35 and Luke 11:14-28, and He’ll respond with a very logical explanation, but for now, we recognize that this appears to be the normal routine of Jesus’ itinerant ministry, whereby He travels slowly along, teaching and healing as He goes (v35-36). His conclusion, throughout the normal course of His ministry, is found in v37-38. There are many, many needy and hopeless people in the world, but there are not many people willing to bless them with the good news and physical aid. Prayer, therefore, is essential, for God will “send out workers into His harvest field” as His people ask Him to do so. God wants His people to develop the heart of His Son Jesus, to show mercy and compassion on the “harassed and helpless,” because they are “like sheep without a shepherd” (v36).
Most of us know the troubles of the world, the reality that we are so wealthy, whereas the majority of the world’s population has so little. We might give a small portion of our excess to alleviate some of their poverty, but we often give up any more aggressive efforts, because we just don’t think we can really be helpful. The battle is so grand, and we are just individuals. That’s all the more reason to pray. And we need to be willing to respond if God reveals something more specific for us to do. Can we send others to the mission field? Can we be the missionaries who go? Can we find local mission fields to pour into? The answer is most definitely “Yes.” But the problem might be in our lack of willingness to focus on the need. Again, that’s all the more reason to pray, pray that the Lord of the harvest would send workers into His field. Amen.
Bible text from
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