THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC (9:1-8). We come now to the third of these revelations of Jesus' authority. He has revealed His authority over some of the most powerful forces of this world, He has revealed His authority over the powers of the supernatural world, and now He will reveal His authority o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city.' Having been rejected in Decapolis Jesus now returned to ‘His own city', that is, to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13). There is a pathos in this. It was not really His own city. He had been rejected from the town where He had been b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed.' ‘And behold.' Compare Matthew 9:3. See also Matthew 8:2; Matthew 8:24; Matthew 8:29; Matthew 8:34. In each case it introduces something new and startling that he wants to draw attention to. It does not necessarily tie in what... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, “This man is blaspheming”.' The Scribes were the teachers of the Law, and they had come to check Jesus out. Here was this man performing all these miracles, and they wanted to know if He was ‘sound', that is, whether He taught what they ta... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” ' But Jesus knew what they were saying. Indeed He may well have deliberately provoked it in order to get over to the people that in Him forgiveness had come for all who would turn to God with a view to repenting, turning... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven”; or to say, “Arise, and walk?” ' He then challenged them on the basis of the evidence of His mighty works. Which was easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven”; or to say, “Arise, and walk?” The answer was that they were both impossible to man, b... [ Continue Reading ]
“But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins (then he says to the sick of the palsy), “Arise, and take up your bed, and go up to your house.” Having stunned them to silence Jesus then positively declared His position and His intention. In order that they might k... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he arose, and departed to his house.' And the man did what he was told and walked home with his mattress on his shoulder. Jesus' claims were vindicated.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.' Matthew is not interested in the reaction of the Scribes. His concern was for the glory of God. The Scribes, put to flight rationally, ceased to matter to him (he does not seek to show them up in... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CALL OF MATTHEW 9:9. With this verse Matthew comes to the end of the subsection which began in Matthew 8:18 with the reference to other disciples considering following Jesus. Perhaps there is a stress on the fact that while the others had been in doubt, there was no doubt about Matthew. He did u... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT JESUS HAS TO OFFER AND THE GROWTH OF PHARISAIC OPPOSITION (9:10-34). We are now informed about the first open opposition among the Pharisees to Jesus. The Pharisees had seemingly previously approached John with a critical attitude, along with the Sadducees. They had felt that it was their duty... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS HAS COME AS THE HEALER OF THE SINS OF ALL MEN, BUT THE PHARISEES CRITICISE HIM FOR EATING WITH PUBLIC SERVANTS AND SINNERS (9:10-13). Jesus now makes clear that He has come in order to save the undeserving. That was something that the Pharisees, who slaved at being ‘deserving', could not unde... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it came about that as he reclined at meat in the house, behold, many public servants and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.' We know from the other synoptic Gospels that this gathering was in Matthew's house. He, together with Jesus and His other disciples, had come there t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with the public servants and sinners?” ' To the Pharisees what Jesus was doing was unpardonable. To them their rituals had become the be all and end all of their lives. And they could not see how Jesus could take... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are whole have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” ' When Jesus heard what was being said He patiently explained His position to the Pharisees. He pointed out that a doctor did not go to those who were well. He went to those who were ill. It w... [ Continue Reading ]
“But you go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” ‘Go and learn.' This was a regular Jewish way of directing people to seek spiritual truth. And He informed them that where they should look was in Hosea 6:6. There we read,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ' The disciples of John now approach Jesus, but it would appear possible that they had been in consultation with the Pharisees, who were clearly also commenting on the lack of f... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS HAS COME AS THE BRIDEGROOM BRINGING SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW (9:14-17). Having revealed Himself as the Great Physician, a further incident about fasting leads on to His revelation of Himself as the heavenly Bridegroom. John the Baptist had already given an indication of this when he spoke of him... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus said to them, “Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” ' Jesus points out that such fasting would be inappropriate for His disciples, because for th... [ Continue Reading ]
“And no man puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for then that which should fill it up takes from the garment, and a worse tear is made.” By His illustrations here Jesus now declares that it is not a time for supplementing the old ideas and trying to repair them. The inference is that w... [ Continue Reading ]
“Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins perish. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” The point is emphasised again, this time using the idea of putting new wine into old wineskins. To do so woul... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RAISING OF A RULER'S DAUGHTER AND THE HEALING OF THE WOMAN WITH A DISCHARGE OF BLOOD (9:18-26). No better illustration of the fact that the new had come can be found than here. In the raising of the anonymous Ruler's daughter we are provided with a foretaste of the resurrection. It was a pointe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a ruler, and worshipped him (or ‘paid him homage'), saying, “My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ' ‘While He spoke these things to them.' This could be intended to be specific (and thus as sign... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.' Responding to the Ruler's plea Jesus arose from where He was sat teaching, and followed him, accompanied by His disciples.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, a woman, who had a discharge of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the border (or ‘fringe' or ‘tassel') of his cloak. For she said within herself, “If I do but touch his garment, I will be made whole.” ' In the crowd that followed Jesus was a woman who ought not to have be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you whole.” And the woman was made whole from that hour.' Matthew then brings out the point of this story. It is the woman's faith, wavering though it was, that had made her whole. It will be the same for the R... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult, he said, “Give place, for the damsel is not dead, but sleeps.” And they laughed him to scorn.' On arriving at the ruler's house Jesus found that the funeral arrangements had already begun. The pro... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when the crowd was put forth, he entered in, and took her by the hand, and the damsel arose.' Matthew tells the story briefly in order to bring out the main point. The crowd were put out, Jesus went in, and then He took her by the hand and she arose. Here we have a simple depiction of the resur... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the fame concerning this went forth into all that land.' And as is made clear in each of these last three stories the result was widespread ‘fame'. The stories of what had happened spread everywhere throughout the whole of Galilee. Here among them was One Who could raise the dead. Among the l... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, “Have mercy on us, you son of David.” Not only is this a Messianic sign following closely on the previous one, and deliberately connected to it, but it is also a picture of what will follow the resurrection. Bli... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RESTORING OF SIGHT TO TWO BLIND MEN. The raising of the Ruler's daughter from the dead is now followed by a further Messianic sign, the opening of the eyes of the blind (see Matthew 11:5). In this incident there are two blind men who are healed. Rather than dismissing Matthew's tendency to noti... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus says to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” The persistence of the blind men is brought out here. They had not only cried out but had followed Him home. And for two blind men that would not have been a simple t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” Jesus makes clear that He is responding to their faith. He uses His touch of power, touching their eyes and declaring that He is responding to their faith. The lesson is clear. All who come to the Messiah in faith can... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, “See that no man know it.” In Isaiah 35:5 it is stated concerning the coming age, ‘the eyes of the blind will be opened', and here it was happening before all eyes. It was declaring to them, “The Messiah, the son of David' is amo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they went forth, and spread abroad his fame in all that land.' But His words fell on ‘deaf' ears. They went out and told everywhere what had happened to them and how Jesus had healed them And so Jesus fame spread abroad in all the land. Compare the parallel phrase in Matthew 9:26. His fame cou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as they went forth, behold, there was brought to him a dumb man possessed with a demon.' A man is brought to Jesus who was dumb as a result of a spirit which possessed him. As we have seen kowphos could mean both deaf and dumb. But the man was a picture of Israel, which should have been testif... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEALING OF A MAN POSSESSED BY A DUMB (AND DEAF?) SPIRIT (9:32-34). We now come to the final Messianic sign (Matthew 11:5), both of the section from Matthew 8:1, and the threefold series from Matthew 9:18. And yet the fact that it does not tie in exactly with Matthew 11:5 indicates the honesty of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the crowds marvelled, saying, “It was never so seen in Israel.” ' Here Matthew's emphasis is on two things, the fact that the dumb spoke, and the fact that the crowds marvelled. The casting out of demons has almost become something to be expe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons he casts out demons.” ' But there is one set of people who will never see that. Refusing to believe in Him or accept Him they have to find an alternative explanation to the obvious one. And so they declare that He casts out demons by the prince... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS APPOINTS AND SENDS OUT THE TWELVE TO PROCLAIM THE KINGLY RULE OF HEAVEN WITH ADMONITIONS, WARNINGS AND FINAL PROMISES (9:35-11:1). In this section Jesus appoints and sends out His twelve Apostles. His purpose for them is that they might proclaim the Kingly Rule of Heaven, and reveal its prese... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SELECTION AND SENDING OUT OF THE APOSTLES (9:35-10:8). While the speech is clearly one whole, it is also divided up into smaller sections each of which forms a chiasmus. In this the first smaller section the Apostles are commissioned, given authority and named in the light of the needs of lost... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingly rule, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.' Matthew now closes off this section, and commences the next one with a summary statement that is very simi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.' The great crowds that gathered around Jesus had touched His heart. He was ‘moved with compassion' towards them. The word for compassion used here is a word... [ Continue Reading ]
Then says he to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.” ' Jesus saw the people who came to hear Him, or who wished to come to hear Him, as a harvest to be gathered in (comp... [ Continue Reading ]