Matthew 9
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Matthew 9
Matthew 9
And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
When this says “his own city” it is referring to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
We see this same situation in Mark chapter 2 and Luke chapter 5, where it describes the man be lowered through the roof by his friends. A great example of how we shouldn’t let anything keep us from Christ, and notice that Jesus saw THEIR faith. Remember that prayer for one another, helping each other to bear our burdens are some of the most powerful things a Christian can do.
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
So the religious leaders of the time are accusing Jesus of blasphemy but they don’t announce this publicly yet. Their issue is that by healing and forgiving sin Jesus is doing something only God can do. They are so close to realizing the truth, but they still can’t see it.
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
The Greek phrase here implies Jesus perceives their negative reaction, not that he is reading their minds. He had prior knowledge that the world would reject him, so it would have been easy for him to know the religious leaders would fail to see the truth of him being God in the flesh.
For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
So Christ is saying here that it is easy to SAY someone is forgiven of their sins, because there is no easy way to verify that. But to heal a paralytic so that he can immediately walk again was something that everyone in attendance could SEE. Verifiable proof of Jesus’s authority and the truth of his words.
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
So Jesus leaves no doubt that he is acting with the full authority of God, and then gives verifiable proof by healing the paralyzed man.
And he arose, and departed to his house.
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
So Christ does this miracle in front of this group, and they immediately praise God showing that they understood where this power comes from. It comes from God who was standing before them in the flesh. But the religious leaders are still blind to the truth. This is a direct example of what Jesus talks about during the sermon on the mount when he talks about those that come in his name, but he never knew them. It’s not enough for us to say we know Christ, we have to do his will so that he can say he knows us.
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Here we see Matthew introduced, and we will sometimes see him referred to as Levi. It was common to have two names, just as it is still pretty common today. Matthew sets a great example by immediately obey Jesus. How great will our lives be if we simply do the same?
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
We see that this takes place at Matthew’s house in Luke 5 29
And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
So Matthew basically has a dinner party with Jesus as the guest of honor. They are gathered together eating, breaking bread, and joining in fellowship with a diverse cast of characters. The Pharisees don’t understand why Jesus is spending time with people they consider beneath them, showing their holier than thou attitude.
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
The word whole meaning healthy or strong.
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus makes an analogy that is very easy to understand. Sick people go to the doctor. Sinners are who need repentance and salvation. He came to save the souls of sinners (guess what? That’s everyone!) He then takes a jab at the Pharisees and basically tells them to go and study the scripture because the don’t understand what it really means.
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
We see some of the followers of John the Baptist asking why the disciples of Christ aren’t practicing voluntary fasting.
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Jesus here is foreshadowing his own death on the cross, and pointing to the fact that the fast would no longer be of food, but of the physical presence of God in the flesh. We’ve talked before about how following the Old Testament law in regards to things like fasting isn’t a bad thing, but it is not a requirement for salvation. Christ fulfilled the law and is the only path to salvation.
No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
What Christ is saying here is that his death forms the new covenant. When partake of his salvation we put away sin, and we can’t fit the old ways and the old sin into the new person, the new life. That’s why we have things to remind us of that new covenant written in Jesus’s blood, things like baptism, Passover, and the taking of holy communion.
Next we are going to see Jesus show his authority over death, with what we are about to see being recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
We see this ruler named as Jairus a synagogue official in Mark chapter 5 and Luke chapter 8. He shows his faith that Christ has power over death in this verse.
And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
This woman would have been considered unclean during this 12 year period, meaning this wasn’t just a health problem, but social and religious as well.
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Her faith was so strong that she believed that just being close to Jesus, just grazing his clothes would be enough to heal her. Just like Matthew earlier being willing to drop everything to follow Jesus, she is such a great model of true faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. The hem of his garment would mean the tassel at one of the four corners, which touching one of these was a mark of respect. The fringes or tassels are something we can find all the way back in Numbers chapter 15. Num 15 37
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
So we see that the fringes on the hem of the garment was something commanded by God in the Old Testament, showing why Jesus would have had these fringes or tassels. But we need to notice something. Let’s go back a few verses to Num 15 38
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
The word borders here (the borders of their garments, the hem where the tassels would be connected) is the Hebrew word:
Hebrew Word: כָּנָף
H3671 Kanaph Phonetic Pronunciation: kaw-nawf’
an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap
So the hem of Jesus’s garment is the area connected to these tassels (Greek word Tzitzit) and were a commandment found in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word used for the “hem, or border” is kanaph. So why is this important? Let’s look at Mal 4 2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise With healing in his wings; And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Notice anything about this verse in Malachi? This is an Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. Saying that he will come with “healing in his wings”. Want to guess what Hebrew word is used for wings?
Hebrew Word: כָּנָף
H3671 Kanaph Phonetic Pronunciation: kaw-nawf’
an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap
So this wasn’t simply a sick woman that could only get close enough to graze the bottom of Christ’s clothes. This was a woman reaching out for the tassels of His garment, that are there because God commanded it to be so, and by receiving healing by touching His “hem/border/wing” directly fulfills Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah. Malachi written around 400 years before Christ would walk the Earth. Just another example of Jesus Christ fulfilling prophecy, leaving no doubt as to His identity. No doubt about WHO HE IS.
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Christ calls her daughter as a term of endearment, reflecting what we see in Galatians that we can all be children of God through faith in Jesus. Gal 3 26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
So we see the focus shift back to Jesus coming to heal the daughter of Jairus. The people were gathered there for the funeral of the girl.Burial during this time would occur quickly which is why this is already happening. Sleep was used as a euphemism for death, this isn’t Jesus denying that she is dead.
But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
At this time touching a corpse would make a person ceremonially unclean, but Jesus isn’t concerned with men’s traditions. And the Greek verb here, egeiro, that is used for arose is the same word used to describe Jesus’s resurrection.
And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Now we’ve talked before about the genealogy of Jesus and how his bloodline can be traced back through David making him of the king line, the king of kings. This verse shows that the two blind men are aware of WHO Jesus is. Son of David would only be used to describe the messiah.
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Notice that they came to Jesus, they took action. And then they proclaim their faith. Tie this back to chapter 7 and the end of the sermon on the mount, ask, seek, knock. Show faith and take action.
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Through their faith in Jesus they are healed. Jesus wants to keep a low profile but we see that the two blind men can’t help but to tell people. As much as we want to obey Christ to the best of our abilities, I also feel like this shows how the light of Christ will refuse to be hidden. When Jesus is part of your life, truly part of your life, you won’t be able to hide it.
As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
So the Pharisees proclaim that the only reason Jesus can cast out demons is because he himself is possessed. They deny the presence of God and claim that he is working evil. Dangerous territory to step in.
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
The people were lost, waiting for the shepherd. And he had come to save us all. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God in the flesh.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
So Jesus starts to set the stage for the great commission, our mission that we are still on, spreading his word to all that we can.
In this chapter we see Jesus as our healer, our forgiver, and the one that calls us to His service. We just have to ask ourselves if we are willing to answer the call. Are we willing to follow Him in the way Matthew did? And like the man stricken with palsy, or the woman that so desperately just wanted to be close to Jesus, are we willing to put our faith in Christ as the most important thing in our lives, willing to do whatever it takes to grow closer to Him?
Matthew 9
Matthew 9
