A Faith that Forgives

The Gospel of Matthew A Faith that Forgives - Matthew 9:1-8 May 31, 2026 Matthew 9 this morning in another well-known healing story. But this story has a bit of a twist. In fact, as many of us have experienced, sometimes God will take, what appears to be a negative experience in our lives, and turn it into a positive experience. I've shared this before, but I always think of my parents and how they met. Now, for some context, my dad was born and raised outside of East L.A., and my mother was born and raised in North Georgia. Literally, two different worlds. But somehow, they met about 85 miles southeast of Tucson back in late 1980. This was unexpected because my mother was not supposed to be in Arizona. She was sent here only after she was ill and couldn't go to the originally planned destination. That is where she met my father and eventually wed in February 1981. God did that in my life as well. I was supposed to get a job back in 2004, but a car accident prevented me from getting that job, instead landing me in Manhattan Beach, CA where I ended up meeting my wife. The saying is true - God works in mysterious ways. This morning, we're going to be introduced to five men from our passage this morning in Matthew chapter 9. As with my own family history, I don't think these men knew what was coming next, as they had other plans. So, let's check out Matthew 9:1-8, and read this next account: 1 AND GETTING INTO A BOAT HE CROSSED OVER AND CAME TO HIS OWN CITY. 2 AND BEHOLD, SOME PEOPLE BROUGHT TO HIM A PARALYTIC, LYING ON A BED. AND WHEN JESUS SAW THEIR FAITH, HE SAID TO THE PARALYTIC, "TAKE HEART, MY SON; YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN." 3 AND BEHOLD, SOME OF THE SCRIBES SAID TO THEMSELVES, "THIS MAN IS BLASPHEMING." 4 BUT JESUS, KNOWING THEIR THOUGHTS, SAID, "WHY DO YOU THINK EVIL IN YOUR HEARTS? 5 FOR WHICH IS EASIER, TO SAY, 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN,' OR TO SAY, 'RISE AND WALK'? 6 BUT THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE SON OF MAN HAS AUTHORITY ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS"-HE THEN SAID TO THE PARALYTIC-"RISE, PICK UP YOUR BED AND GO HOME." 7 AND HE ROSE AND WENT HOME. 8 WHEN THE CROWDS SAW IT, THEY WERE AFRAID, AND THEY GLORIFIED GOD, WHO HAD GIVEN SUCH AUTHORITY TO MEN. So, before we get into the details from Matthew's account, let's return to our Weekly Segment I introduced last week, and do our ... WEEKLY CHECK-IN WITH MARK AND LUKE: * Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26 are the two parallel accounts * Immediately, this shows us that this event took place earlier in Jesus' ministry. o It also reminds us of Matthew's writing style, where he writes more topically, mostly for literary purposes. * Matthew's placement here is likely no accident. o As hinted at last week, there's a running theme of Jesus' authority in this section of Matthew's gospel. In summary, here are the last three authority-related themes we've seen: * Jesus Has Authority Over Nature (Matthew 8:23-27) * Jesus Has Authority Over Evil (Matthew 8:28-34) * Jesus Has Authority to Forgive Sin (Matthew 9:1-8) * We'll of course return to this soon. * What are some of the primary differences between the synoptic accounts? o We have already talked about the placement of this account o Aside from that, Mark and Luke include details around the location and other details that Matthew doesn't. * They were in Capernaum (Jesus' hometown) * There were great crowds inside this home, including Scribes and Pharisees * It was actually over-crowded, so these four men who brought in the paralytic, lowered him down from the ceiling * Just as we saw several weeks ago with Jesus and centurion, this action of faith amazed Jesus, and He healed the paralytic man. These accounts reveal so much about Jesus' heart and Jesus' purpose. Let's summarize our findings with our main idea this morning: Jesus came to heal a heart in need before He healed a body in need. This is to say, that the priority of Jesus - which means it should be our priority also - is the condition of our hearts, which are inclined to sin and evil (see Jeremiah 17:9), over the physical ailments, which ultimately are a symptom of our sin. So, the heart needs fixing. So, let's discuss: FIXING MY HEART CONDITION: * [First, we] Submit to Jesus (v.2) o Why? Because He knows my greatest need. o Notice the faith of these men. o Mark tells us that there were four who carried this paralytic into the house. o All three accounts, however, record Jesus commending them for their faith. o In verse 2, Matthew says that the men "BROUGHT" the paralytic to Jesus. o That term is actually used elsewhere of bringing offerings to God o Not only did they bring this man to Jesus for healing, but they were also bringing themselves to Him. o One commentator noted: you do not bring people to Christ, if you do not have faith in Christ. o As we've seen all throughout this section, these miracles are less about the physical healing, and more about bringing glory to God, and Jesus demonstrating His authority. o In demonstrating His authority, He is proving what Matthew's purpose in writing was, which was to show his Jewish audience that Jesus is the promised Messiah. o So, even today, we respond by submitting to Jesus. How? Through faith. o Next, * Surrender your will to Jesus (vv.3-6) o This is to say that we must be willing to accept His will for us. o Why? Because He has power and authority to heal and forgive. o In fact, that is why the scribes (and Pharisees, according to Luke) accused Jesus of being a blasphemer - which was a top tier sin. The sin of sins. o They knew that this attribute - to forgive sins - only belonged to God, and this "man" was blaspheming God by forgiving this man of his sin. o Also of note, this was the first (documented) formal opposition to Jesus, the opposition that ultimately led to His arrest, trial, and death. o But, these four men knew better, and brought their friend to Jesus, in faith. Jesus confirms this with His statement in verse 2. o As such, when the men brought this man to Him, in so many ways, Jesus did the unexpected. o He will do that, even today. o In this case, the men clearly wanted Jesus to heal their friend, and He did, but as we've already pointed out, Jesus forgave the man of his sins first. o Why? He is emphasizing the importance of eternity, and being healed (forgiven) from our sin. o Now, there was likely a good reason for many to believe that this man's paralysis was caused by sin. o Late pastor and writer, John MacAuthur said it this way: [the disabled] "... have always suffered social stigma and neglect, but in the Jewish culture of Jesus' day the stigma was made immeasurably worse by the belief of most Jews that all disease and affliction was the direct result of someone's sin....Though it is true that affliction, pain, and hardship of every sort are the result of the presence of sin in the world, they are not necessarily brought on by some specific sin of the person who is suffering." o And we can confirm this from the Scriptures o For example, in John 9:1-3 we read: 1 AS HE PASSED BY, HE SAW A MAN BLIND FROM BIRTH. 2 AND HIS DISCIPLES ASKED HIM, "RABBI, WHO SINNED, THIS MAN OR HIS PARENTS, THAT HE WAS BORN BLIND?" 3 JESUS ANSWERED, "IT WAS NOT THAT THIS MAN SINNED, OR HIS PARENTS, BUT THAT THE WORKS OF GOD MIGHT BE DISPLAYED IN HIM. o What's the bottom line? * When we wholly surrender to Him, we accept - in faith - what He wills. * He may decide to heal, He may decide otherwise. o But eternally, when we come to Him in faith, He is faithful to forgive us of our sins, securing our eternity, which He says here, is the most important. o Finally ... * Give Jesus all glory that He is owed (vv.7-8) o Isn't it interesting that every week, we somehow land right back here? o This story-telling formula from Matthew consistently reminds us that we must respond appropriately to Jesus' work. o In this case, we are told that the people (those in the house that witnessed this) were "AFRAID," according to Matthew. They were also "AMAZED," according to Mark, and "FILLED WITH AWE," according to Luke. o Why? They witnessed something they had never seen before. * Namely, a man - likely well known to be paralytic - walk out of the home in which he was lowered into. * While he left physically well, he also left healed from his sin. o So, they glorified God. o So shall we. o But there is another aspect of praise and honor that is sometimes overlooked. * What's that, you ask? * Obedience. o I can't help but think of Moses and God on Mount Sinai. When God gave Moses - what we call - the Ten Commandments, He begins with these words in Exodus 20:2: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF SLAVERY. o He then follows with the Law. o Going all the way back to His covenant with Abraham, there was always a consequence for disobedience. * Obviously, we can return to the Garden for that matter. o In fact, we can go back just a few chapters and read this from Exodus 15:26: SAYING, "IF YOU WILL DILIGENTLY LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN HIS EYES, AND GIVE EAR TO HIS COMMANDMENTS AND KEEP ALL HIS STATUTES, I WILL PUT NONE OF THE DISEASES ON YOU THAT I PUT ON THE EGYPTIANS, FOR I AM THE LORD, YOUR HEALER." o Obedience, you see, is a response of that faith. o All three accounts record a variation of Jesus telling the man to get up and walk home. So, he did ... all while glorifying God. o Obedience is tied in with our worship. Our passage this morning clearly reminds us that ... Jesus came to heal a heart in need before He healed a body in need. This comes from a heart of love and compassion for His greatest creation. I came across this "one-sentence" summary of our passage this morning that aligns nicely with what we've talked about today: Jesus emphasizes that saving faith seeks forgiveness and reconciliation with God above physical healing, because spiritual restoration is humanity's greatest need. We need to focus on our spiritual health. Of course, no one is saying that your physical health is not important, as we all know that it is. Jesus is simply saying that your spiritual health is eternal. We focus through spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, reading His Word, fasting, fellowship, and worship. So, may this passage be an encouragement to you to have the faith enough to surrender all to Jesus, and allow Him to make all things right. Let's pray. 2