Matthew 9

Matthew 9:1

In chapters 8 and 9, writing of the King and the release of His power, Matthew enumerates ten miracles. In the first three, Jesus showed grace to the outcasts. In the next two, He gave peace to the troubledthe disciples in the storm and those tormented by demons. Now we will see peace extended once again to a man with a very real problem. The other Gospel writers tell us the man stricken with palsy was brought by four friends who, because of the crowd, broke through the roof of the home in which Jesus was teaching in order to lower him down in front of the Master. Seeing this man lowered in front of Him, Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! Your sins are forgiven.” But I wonder if at this point, the four friends were a bit disappointed. I wonder if they thought, That’s great, but we didn’t lug him all this way and break open the roof just to hear some kind of spiritual statement. I wonder if they were hoping to hear, “Be healed,” instead of “Be of good cheer.” In reality, however, the most important need of the hurting man was forgiveness. In Romans 4, the apostle Paul, quoting David, said, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” In other words, the happiest man is the man who knows he’s forgiven. And I suggest to you that, although his friends may have been disappointed to hear those words, they were exactly what this guy was craving to hear due to the fact that, according to early tradition, this man was paralyzed because an immoral lifestyle had taken its toll on him physically. So, too, I suggest to you that there are people today who are not walking because they are paralyzed by guilt over a sin or a series of sins that took place in their lives previously. And although they can walk physically, they cannot walk with the Lord in good cheer because they think, I’ve gone too far. I’ve sinned too greatly.

Matthew 9:3

Which is easierphysical healing or redemption from iniquity? For Jesus to physically heal the paralyzed man, He simply had to speak a word. But to forgive him, He had to die.

Matthew 9:6

The man took up his bed and cruised out of there, walking physically, but more importantly, walking spiritually. Notice verse Mat_9:2 says that it was after seeing their faith that Jesus said to this man, “Your sins are forgiven.” Seeing whose faith? Seeing the faith of the friends who brought their paralyzed buddy to Jesus. Many times, Jesus would say to the person who was sick, “According to your faith, be made whole,” and the person was healed. Other times, seeing other people’s faith, Jesus would allow healing to be released. Still other times, at the tomb of Lazarus, for example, it was no one’s faith. Mary and Martha were weeping in unbelief, and Lazarus was dead. So whose faith was it? To so-called faith healers who say to the sick, “The reason you aren’t healed is because you just didn’t have enough faith,” I would like to say, “What about your faith? Don’t you have enough faith for him to be healed?”

Matthew 9:8

Note this, students. Every time Jesus did a miracle, people who saw it glorified the Father. Jesus was able to move in such a way that when people saw His miracles, they praised God. A man living in Taiwan who was really in love with a certain lady wrote her seven hundred flowery and lengthy letters in one year, sixty-two of which included proposals of marriage. The letters worked. The lady did indeed get marriedbut not to him. She married the mailman. When I read that, I thought, Isn’t that just like us? Here the Father loves us and sends good gifts to us, but we’re so dumb we exalt the mailman instead of the author of the letter. If you’re used by the Lord, people will either have a tendency to exalt you unrealistically, or to rail on you radically. Our goal should be to do what Jesus didturn all the attention, all the glory back to the Father.

Matthew 9:9

Matthew, the author of this Gospel, was also named Levi, which meant he sprang from the Levites, the priestly class, the tribe dedicated to worshipping and ministering. Matthew was a Levite, but instead of worshiping at the temple, he was working for the Romans, sitting at the receipt of custom collecting taxes. The Lord, however, has a way of seeing good in people, and He saw potential even in a man like Matthew. “Follow Me, Matthew. I’ll take you. Others might spit on you, turn their backs on you, and avoid you. But I’m willing to work with you and to work in you.” Luke’s Gospel tells us Matthew arose and left all to follow Jesus. Matthew, however, doesn’t mention this in his own writings. He simply says, “He arose, and followed him.” Pro_27:2 says, “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” Matthew models this beautifully.

Matthew 9:10

There are none righteous, but the Lord says, “I am coming particularly to those who recognize their needto the publicans, the prostitutes, the sinners, and the street people.” I wonder if we as the church today are like that. I wonder if the church, which should be representing Jesus, is now comfortable with the religious people, but is turning off the sinners, the street people, and the common folks. Jesus said, “I don’t want sacrifice. I want mercycompassion and concern for everyone.” I hope unbelievers relate to you well. I hope they don’t look at you as being holier-than-thou. I hope people enjoy your company because you represent life and joy, that there’s a quality about you that attracts peoplebelievers and sinners alike. Such was true of Jesus. And such was true of Matthew, as he said to his friends, “Come on over to my house and meet the One who has shown such grace and mercy to me.” We need more “Matthew parties,” where people open their hearts and homes, saying, “I want you to be exposed to the One who’s changed me.”

Matthew 9:14

You don’t put a new denim patch on old Levi’s®, because when you wash them, it won’t hold. The cloth will shrink, the stitching will rip, and the hole you were trying to patch will become even bigger.

Matthew 9:17

Old wineskins, which are hard and rigid, aren’t able to flex like new ones. Therefore, it would be foolish to put new wine in old wineskins because as the wine fermented, the wineskins would burst. Wine is a symbol of the Spirit, and I believe the Lord continually pours new wine. The problem is, the old structures and traditions can’t contain it. Therefore, it seems as though the Lord raises up new wineskins in every generationnew vessels to hold the new work of the Spirit.

Matthew 9:18

In the eighth chapter of his Gospel, Dr. Luke records this same miracle with much greater detail. He tells us the man’s name was Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Before the year 586 B.C., virtually all Jews lived within one hundred miles of the temple, so they all worshiped there. But in 586 B.C., the Jews were carried away into Babylon and held hostage for seventy years. No longer able to worship in the temple, they established synagogues in every neighborhood with ten or more Jewish men.

The synagogue then became the place of assembly for the Jews where they would worship and study the Scriptures. Each synagogue had ten leaders, called elders. Of those ten, one was elected by the other nine to be the ruler. The ruler of the synagogue was a man of tremendous importance. Not only was he in charge of the synagogue, but he would also settle civic disputes within the neighborhood. Synagogue rulers had power and prosperity, influence and impact.

Jairus was such a man. Yet he was willing to risk it all and come to Jesus because death had crept into his family. Luke also tells us that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old. For twelve years, his daughter had brought light and laughter into his home, until suddenly, she was taken with sickness and was at the point of death. Much can be learned from the way people react to death closing in on themselves or on someone close to them. Fifteen years before his death, Mahatma Ghandi wrote: “I must tell you in all humility, that Hinduism as I know it entirely satisfies my soul. It fills my whole being, and I find a solace in it that I find nowhere else.” Three weeks before he died, however, he made this last journal entry: “My days are numbered. I am not likely to live very much longer. Perhaps a year, maybe a little more. For the first time in my fifty years, I find myself in the slough of despond and in total depression.” When Jairus came face-to-face with death, he knew what to do. He went to Jesus. He ran the risk of losing his prominent position, his wealth, and his reputation in order to save his daughter’s life.

Matthew 9:20

Because this woman was hemorrhaging, she would have been unable to go to the temple to worship, and she would have been considered unclean and defiled by her community. Notice the parallel: A twelve-year-old girl, full of life, light, and laughter, was suddenly dying, and a woman, who, for the same twelve years, full of darkness, disease, and depression, was on the verge of being healed. Perhaps for the past twelve years you have had things go relatively well. Life has been good. God has been gracious. But you don’t know what the next hour holds.

You can’t guarantee that in the next hour you won’t meet with the greatest tragedy, the biggest challenge of your life. Like Jairus, you who perhaps for twelve years have been doing so well, might suddenly find yourself face-to-face with despair. So, too, for the past twelve years if you have been battling discouragement, depression, and disease, know this: You don’t know what the next moment holds. The Lord can do something suddenly that will blow your mind and bring an end to your despair. In Matthew’s day, it was believed that there was certain power in the hem of a garment belonging to a rabbi or spiritual leader. “If I could just touch the hem of his garment.” This woman probably didn’t have the strength to wrestle Him in faith, or to grab hold of Him in belief. Yet she knew if she could even just lightly touch Jesus, she would be healed.

Matthew 9:22

Perhaps you say, “I would love to have Jesus touch me, but I don’t feel His touch.” Then be like this woman. If you’re not feeling His touch upon you, reach out and touch Him. Have you made the effort to press through the crowd of unbelief, of busyness, of entertainment, of activitiesthe crowd of all that stands between you and the Lord? Press through and say, “I just want to touch the hem of His garment. I know if I can touch Him, I’ll be helped.” This woman expended the energy to break through the crowd and touch Jesus. Was her theology correct? No. Was her knowledge complete? No. She was acting out of superstition. But the Lord didn’t say, “Since your theology is all messed up, I won’t help you.” No! He’s a Savior who heeds the cries of His children, even though their phrases are amiss, or their theology’s not right. God honors the person who in desperation is seeking to touch Him. Now, do you suppose by this time, Jairus was growing a little impatient? “Come on, Lord. My daughter is dying, and You’re talking to some lady who’s touched Your garment?” Do you ever feel that way? “Lord, I see You’re blessing this person and You’re blessing that person. Great! But, Lord, what about me?” I suggest to you that in seeing the healing of this woman, Jairus was being prepared for the healing of his own daughter. You see, whenever the Lord delays in moving and seems to be working in other people or in other places, be observant of where He is working and what He is doing because therein lies lessons for you as well. Keep your antennae up, your eyes wide, and your journal open to record information the Lord knows you will need shortly.

Matthew 9:23

Whenever Jesus wants to work in your situation, there will be mockers, saying, “It’s not going to happen. What a joke. The Lord’s not going to help you. He’s not even real to you. He doesn’t care anything about you.” And these little voices inside of us, the voices of unbelief, of demons, or even of well-meaning friends, say, “Grow up. Don’t expect a miracle.” The laughers, the scorners, and the mockers were moved out before Jesus went in. Move out the mockers, gang. Believe the promises of God, quote Scripture, rejoice in advance, and anticipate His blessing. Moving Out the Mockers A Topical Study of Mat_9:18-26 Funerals are normally very serious and very sobering. But I want us to look at a funeral where there were no quiet organ chords, no hushed whispers, no silent tears. This funeral is unique because it was filled with laughter. 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.Mat_9:23-24 Who were these minstrels? In Jesus’ day, when someone died, the bereaved would hire professional mourners and wailers. Even the poorest of families would hire two minstrels, two flute players, and one screamer. But the wealthier one was, the more mourners he would hire. Because Jairus was so wealthy, there were perhaps twenty, fifty, perhaps even one hundred people at his home weeping, wailing, and mourning. Then Jesus arrived. “Give place,” He said. “Make way. The maid is not dead. She sleeps.” Matthew writes, “And they laughed him to scorn.” It wasn’t a chuckle; it was a deep belly laugh. It wasn’t a giggle; it was a guffaw. After all, they had been with her. They had checked her pulse. They had watched her die. No doubt about it, she was gone. The Bible speaks of death with different terminology than the world does. John 11, Acts 7, 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 Thessalonians 4 all say that for the believer, death is sleep. That is, our bodies go to sleep to be resurrected later on, while our spirits go immediately to be with the Lord. Sleep! Who of us doesn’t enjoy a nice nap or taking some time to lie in the sun now and then? Jesus put death in an entirely different context when He said, “Don’t worry. She’s not dead in the way you think. She’s simply sleeping.” Imagine a funeral taking place in the amphitheatre with hundreds of caterpillars all dressed in black marching slowly down the floor of the amphitheatre, carrying the cocoon of their beloved, departed brother. Meanwhile, a beautiful butterfly is fluttering above them, looking down in utter disbelief. “What are you guys mourning for?” he shouts. “I’ve been metamorphosed!” In 1 Corinthians 15, when Paul says we shall be changed, “metamorphosed” is the Greek word he uses. When we die, we get rid of these caterpillar costumes and become the butterflies we long to be. “Give place,” Jesus said. “She’s not dead. She’s asleep.” Then He went in and took her by the hand. To a Jew, touching a dead body was defiling. It was like touching a leper. But Jesus was not afraid to touch defiled people. And He’s not afraid to touch you. Scripture records three accounts of people who were raised from the dead by Jesus: Jairus’ daughter, the widow of Nain’s son, and Lazarus. Following her resurrection, Jairus’ daughter was hungry. Following his resurrection, the widow’s son began to speak. Following his resurrection, Lazarus came forth walking. I suggest to you the same three characteristics are found in those who have been spiritually resurrected and born again. Like Jairus’ daughter, they hunger for the Word. Like the widow’s son, they talk differently. The things they enjoy talking about are no longer what they once were. Like Lazarus, they walk differently, no longer bound by sin. I want you to see something else here, because I believe every one of us deals constantly with some area in our lives that is dying. Perhaps it is in the area of parenting. “My kids are rebelling against God. They’re not interested in spiritual things. My daughter is at the point of death even now.” Maybe it’s your wife or your husband. Your marriage is collapsing. Maybe financially or occupationally things seem at the point of death. It might be ministry. And we run to Jesus, crying, “Lord, this thing, this person, this plan is at the point of death. Come. Please!” And Jesus hears your prayer. And you leave that place of prayer saying, “Far out! The Lord is with me. Great!” But then the news comes the next day. She left you. He moved out. Your kids are in juvenile hall. You’re fired. And you say, “What happened, Lord? I thought You were traveling with me. Where did You go?” He is still with you. And He whispers in your heart. “Give place. It’s not dead. It’s just sleeping.” “No way,” you say. “It’s over. There’s no possibility it will ever work out.” But when the people were put forth, he went in…Mat_9:25 When did Jesus go in? When the mockers were put out. In this, I am reminded of an account in 2 Kings… And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.2Ki_2:23 Interestingly the Hebrew word translated “mock” used here is essentially the same Greek word translated “mock” in Matthew 9. The word for “little children” is the Hebrew word na’ar. It is used to describe Isaac when he was twenty-eight years old and Joseph when he was thirty-nine years old. Thus, it doesn’t mean little children in the sense of preschoolers or kindergarteners. Instead, it means those who were younger than the venerated elders in a community. So these guys could have easily been twenty, thirty, or perhaps even forty years old. They should have known better than to mock a man of God. Now, who were these “little children”? They were those who had heard about Elijah’s miraculous departure in a chariot of fire, but evidently didn’t believe it. So they said to Elisha, “Get out of here, man. Go up like Elijah did, if you’re such a hot prophet.” What happened next? And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.2Ki_2:24-25 Elisha said, “I won’t stand for it. This is un-bear-able. In the name of the Lord, I will not allow these mockers, these scoffers to make fun of the ministry that God has entrusted to me.” Suddenly, two female bears came out of the woods and began ripping on these scorners, devouring them. And we see the situation become very “grizzly.” Don’t send your pit bulls after those who make fun of you, gang, but realize this: We in New Testament times wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph_6:12). Our battle is with those demonic forces and with our own sin natures that whisper within us, “Go up. Go up. You think things are going to happen? No they’re not, bald head man.” In the Name of Jesus, we need to come against these scoffers, these laughers, these mockers, and say, “I will not give place to these voices of doubt and depression. I will not allow them to whisper in my ear that this is doomed to fail. I refuse to listen to the lies of the enemy or to the doubts of my sinful humanity. I will claim the promises the Lord has given to me in His Word, and I will cling to them and believe in Him.” Over three thousand promises have been given to you in the Word dealing with every single need you might have today. Search the Scriptures. Find the promise. And when circumstances say, “No way,” call for the bears! When Jesus went into His hometown of Capernaum, does Scripture say He could do no mighty miracle there because of their carnality? No. Was it because of their sin? No. Was it because He was tired? No. He could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief (Mat_13:58). Without faith, Hebrews 11 says, it is impossible to please Him. There are many ways to please God, but without faith, none of them mean a thing. Have faith. Give place. Move out the mockers. “Eat ’em up, bears of belief. Go get ’em in the Name of the Lord. I’m quoting, claiming, believing, and standing on this Book. Devour those doubts, O Lord.” As the scorners make their exit, the Lord then moves in, and things begin to happen. May you be one who puts out the scorners and stands on Scripture. Move out the mockers. Make way for Jesus. And let Him bring resurrection into your life.

Matthew 9:27

“Son of David” was a title used for “Messiah.” In reality, these blind men had better vision than anyone else, for they saw Jesus as Messiah.

Matthew 9:28

How did the blind men follow Jesus and come to Him? After all, they couldn’t see! I suggest there’s a spiritual principle here. Joh_1:9 says, “[Jesus] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” The ministry of Messiah was to open the eyes not only of those physically blind, but of the spiritually blind. Therefore, the blindest of men can follow Him because Jesus, the true Light, lights every man. He makes Himself known to every person. Romans 1 makes it clear that, both by instinct and observation, every man knows there’s a God. But what do men do? They suppress the truth. People don’t want to admit there’s a Creator, because if there’s a Creator, they are accountable to that Creator, and people want to sin. So they conveniently, illogically, and unscientifically bury the truth in the theory of evolution in order to say, “Hey, we’re only animals. Let’s party.” But even the blindest of men at some point will realize the truth in his heart. When he faces Jesus, no man will be able to say, “I never knew. I never heard. I had no idea.” Joh_1:9 says He is the Light that lights every man. Why did Jesus say, “Don’t tell anyone?” Again, I believe the reason is because He knew the tendency of people to focus on the miraculous more than the Message, on the gifts more than the Giver. Also, perhaps Jesus was saying, “If you guys aren’t careful spreading this news around this region at this time, you’ll get in a lot of trouble.” As opposition to Him was mounting, maybe He was protecting those who believed in Him.

Matthew 9:31

These guys couldn’t help spreading the word. I can understand that. I mean, they were blind and now they could see. They wanted people to know!

Matthew 9:32

People ask, “Why aren’t blind eyes opened, AIDS victims healed, and the paralyzed walking today? It happened then. Why can’t it happen now?” God still heals, but not in the same way. At this point, Jesus was giving the Jews the opportunity to acknowledge Him as their Messiah. Had they received Him, they could have moved right into the kingdom, but they rejected Him when they nailed Him to the Cross. Consequently, although we do see miracles today, they’re not the same as the ones He performed physically when He walked the earth. The miracles we read about in the Gospels are “sneak previews of coming attractions” when He will rule and reign, when all will be right, when everyone will be healed.

Matthew 9:36

Looking at the multitudes, Jesus said to His boys, “Pray. The harvest is plenteous.” He didn’t say, “It’s time for planting.” He said, “It’s ready for picking.” I sense the same thing is true today, don’t you? The harvest is ready. Don’t let Satan whisper in your ear, “Your neighbors won’t listen. Your relatives won’t respond.” No, the harvest is ready.