Matthew 9
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Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end
Read and summarize
Look for
— Prayers ( Blue )
— Promises ( Green )
— Warnings ( Red )
— Commands ( Purple )
Q: The most distinctive message of Christianity is that sin can be forgiven. What does this passage teach about forgiveness ( 9:1-8 )?
Jesus’ Power over Sin ( 9:1-8 )
( 9:1-8 ) So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” 3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” 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 you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Got into a boat
Matthew Henry
— This follows the Gadarenes so resenting the loss of their swine, that they were disgusted with Christ’s company, and besought him to depart out of their coasts
— Now here it follows, He entered into a ship, and passed over
— They bid him begone, and he took them at their word, and we never read that he came into their coasts again
( 1 ) Justice Christ will not stay long where he is not welcomes
— If the unbeliever will depart from Christ, let him depart; it is at his peril ( 1 Co. 7:15 )
( 2) Patience He did not some destroying judgment behind as they deserved
— How easily, how justly, might he have sent them after their swine, who were already so much under the devil’s power
— The provocation, indeed, was very great: but he put it up, and passed it by; and, without any angry resentments or upbraidings, he entered into a ship, and passed over
— This was the day of his patience; he came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them; not to kill, but to cure
— Those that drive Christ from them, draw all miseries upon them. Woe unto us, if God depart from us.
The Paralytic
— Like his fellow Jews, the paralytic no doubt believed his paralysis was direct punishment for his own sins or that of his parents or grandparents
— Pain and suffering is the direct result of sin in the world; God doesn’t cause it but allows it
— But not necessarily brought on by some specific sin of the person who is suffering
— Mark and Luke tell us that his friends climbed up to the roof, tore it off and lowered their friend at Jesus’ feet
Matthew Henry
— He was carried: The faith of his friends
— Jesus saw their faith: The faith of the paralytic and of the friends
— A strong faith: A strong faith regards no obstacles in pressing after Christ.
( 9:2 ) Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
— Jesus was able to do what He said
— Our words lack meaning if our actions do not back them up
— We can say that we love God and others but if we are not taking practical steps to demonstrate that love, our words are empty and meaningless
— Jesus “forgave the man’s sins”. Not really able to see this. So Jesus healed the man to show that His power was real: both to forgive sins and heal diseases
Going Deeper
Your sins are forgiven
— The best news that anyone can hear is that their sins are forgiven
— When Jesus spoke those words to the paralytic, He must have tasted the bitterness and agony of Calvary, knowing that the words could be effective only because he would take the man’s sins upon Himself
— Every time He forgave sin He knew and anticipated the cost
Topical not chronological
— The healing of the leper ( Matt 8:1-4 ) is in both Mark and Luke’s Gospel
— This is immediately followed by the healing of the lame man that was lowered through the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching
— Mark and Luke give the impression that this healing and the call of Levi occurred previous to the Sermon on the Mount and the calling of the twelve disciples ( Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12 )
Fury ( 9:3 )
Q: What did the Scribes and Pharisees say when Jesus told the paralytic that he was healed ( 9:3 )?
( 9:3 ) And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
— Luke tells us that both scribes and Pharisees were present when Jesus healed the paralytic
— They thought within themselves Jesus was blaspheming by claiming to forgive sins
— They were right that only God can forgive sins ( Isa 42:25; Mic 7:18-19 )
— Jesus read the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees just as He had earlier read the hearts of the five men (seeing their faith ) who lowered the paralytic down through the roof ( 9:2 )
Matthew Henry
— Our Lord Jesus has the perfect knowledge of all that we say within ourselves
— Thoughts are secret and sudden, yet naked and open before Christ, the eternal Word ( Heb. 4:12, 13 ), and he understands them afar off
— “You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.” ( Ps 139:2 )
— The Pharisees and scribes refused to believe Jesus could not forgive the man his sins
— What is keeping you back from asking for forgiveness today?
Going Deeper
— Unlike the paralytic, the scribes and Pharisees saw no need for forgiveness because they were already righteous
— They considered it unjust for a man to be forgiven simply by asking for it — instead of by earning it, as they though they had done
— The two great barriers to salvation have always been refusal to recognize the need for it and the belief that it can be earned or deserved
Fear and Awe ( 9:4-8 )
— When Jesus spoke the man was immediately healed just as he was immediately forgiven
— The most necessary arguing must not divert us from doing the good that our hand finds to do ( Henry )
— When we ask God for forgiveness it is immediate
— When the multitudes saw this, they knew this could only be done by God’s power
— Jesus as much as said He was God; the Pharisees did not want to admit His God credentials and accused Him of blasphemy; Jesus proved Himself to be God
— Sometimes Jesus doesn’t heal; remember his first concern is our spiritual healing
Receiving the Sinner / Refusing the Righteous ( 9:9-17 )
( 9:9-17 ) As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. 10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom 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. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
— Matthew was a publicani (whence we get publican in some translations)
— These people served Rome and their first loyalty was to the occupying Roman army
— Matthew adds an autobiographical note here. The taxing authority of the tax collector was almost unlimited and for that reason they were considered traitors and hated more than a Gentile because he is a collaborator with the Romans
— The taxing authority of the tax collector was almost unlimited and for that reason they were considered traitors and hated
— A franchise required collecting a specific amount of taxes and the allowed anything beyond that to be kept for personal profit
— We see Matthew’s humility in writing these verses and describing himself as sitting at the tax office
— Luke adds that Matthew “left everything behind, and rose and began to follow him” ( Lk 5:28 )
— Of all the disciples Matthew doubtlessly made the greatest sacrifice of material possessions; yet he himself makes no mention of it
( 9:9b ) And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
Matthew Henry
— Christ spoke first; we have not chosen him, but he hath chosen us
— The same divine power attended His word as when He told the paralytic to walk
— A saving change is wrought in the soul by Christ as the Author, and his word as the mean ( Ro 1:16 )
— The call was effectual, for he came at the call; he arose, and followed him immediately; neither denied, nor deferred his obedience
— Neither his commission for his place, nor his gains by it, could detain him, when Christ called him
Going Deeper
— Some think that Christ gave Levi the name Matthew, which means the gift of God
— Others think Matthew was the name he was most known by as a publican, and, therefore, in his humility, he called himself by that name, rather than by the more honourable name of Levi
— The Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim states that there were two categories of publicani
— The first kind collected general taxes like property tax, income and poll taxes
— The second kind of collector called a mokhes — collected a wide variety of taxes — taxes similar to import duties, tollway fees, boat docking fees, business license fees
— They had wide latitude in what they could tax; they could tax a traveler’s donkey, his slaves; they had authority to open letters to see if a taxable business was involved
— And there were two types of mokhes. The first type were wealthy men who hired other men to collect taxes; this afforded them some anonymity and protected their reputation
— The second type were called small mokhes and they were in constant contact with people
— Matthew was a small mokhes because he himself was sitting in the tax office
— It was to that man, the most despised of the despicable that Jesus called, “Follow Me!”
— Edersheim also notes that a Jewish publicani was barred from the synagogue, forbidden to any religious or social contact, ranked with unclean animals, robbers and murderers and forbidden to testify in any Jewish court
Hendricksen
Not a Word from Matthew
Nowhere in the four Gospels is he ever introduced as saying anything. In this respect he ranks with the other two “obscure” disciples: James the Less and Simon the Zealot. Peter speaks with great frequency ( Matt 14:28; 15:15; 16:16, 22; 17:4; etc ). Andrew, times ( Mark 13:3; John 1:41; 6:8, 9; 12:22 ). So also do the brothers James ( Mark 10:35-39; Luke 9:54) and John ( Luke 9:54; John 13:23-25 ). So do Philip ( John 1:45; 12:22 ), Thomas ( John 11:16; 14:5; 20:24-29 ) and Judas the Traitor ( Matt 26:14-16, 25; 27:3, 4; John 12:4, 5 ). Even Nathanael is not completely silent ( John 1:46-49 ), nor is Judas the Greater ( John 14:22 ). But from the lips of Matthew we hear never a word. All the more brilliantly does he let his light shine in this glorious Gospel!
Q: What was the first thing that Matthew did after coming to Christ ( 9:9-10 )? What was the first thing you did after coming to Christ?
The Positive Response ( 9:9-10 )
— Matthew immediately shared his faith with his friends
— The other evangelists tell us, that Matthew made a great feast, which the poor fishermen, when they were called, were not able to do ( Henry )
— The sinners included the riffraff of the neighborhood — drunkards, robbers, prostitutes and other tax collectors
— God is concerned about all people, including sinful and hurting ones
— We should not be afraid to reach out to people living in sin
— Following Jesus’ example we should share the gospel with the poor, immoral, lonely, and outcasts, not just the rich, moral, popular and rich
The Negative Response ( 9:11 )
( 9:11 ) And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
— The Pharisees don’t ask Jesus; they ambush His disciples
— We should have a ready defense to defend the Lord ( 1 Pet 3:15 )
— They were outraged that Jesus claimed to uphold the standards of righteousness and ate with sinners!
Matthew Henry
— That Christ was quarrelled with
— It was not the least of his sufferings, that he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself
— None was more quarrelled with by men, than he that came to take up the great quarrel between God and man
— The Pharisees are always concerned about external factors: Spending time with “sinners” is offensive to them; to Jesus, those who don’t believe they are perfect provides fertile ground for saving souls – and don’t forget, admitting to being a sinner is a prerequisite to salvation. (What might have happened if the Religious leaders of Jesus day saw themselves as sinners?)
Q: Jesus overheard what the Pharisees asked of the disciples. What was his response and what did it mean ( 9:12-13 )?
The Arguments ( 9:12-13 )
( 9:12-13 ) When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
— Jesus was saying, “If” you are really spiritually healthy, then you do not need any help from God or men
— You don’t need a spiritual physician
—On the other hand, these tax-gatherers and sinners — who admit that they are spiritually sick need a spiritual physician
— A physician should spend time with sick people, and a forgiver should be expected to be among those who are sinful
Q: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” – what does this mean (19:12 )? ( cf. Hos 6:6 )
— Jesus is quoting the prophet Hosea who condemned the Jews for attempting to excuse their idolatry and their oppression of the poor by offering the prescribed animal sacrifices ( Hos 6:6 )
— God has never accepted sacrifices on their own value: there must be the aligning of the heart intent to validate the sacrifice (i.e. compare King David to King Saul)
— In this instance, Jesus is communicating to the Religious leaders that their external signs of holiness (sacrifices, keeping of the laws, etc) did not include the corresponding heart intent to provide mercy (seek out and save the lost)
— God cares about the inner truth not the otter signs of compliance
— Repeated in 12:7
Going Deeper
— The phrase go and learn was commonly used in rabbinic writings to rebuke those who did not know what they should have known
— Jesus used the Pharisees own most honored authorities to rebuke them for their ignorance of God’s true nature and of their failure to follow His clear commandments
— The fact that the quotation was from Hosea made it all the more pointed
— The story of Gomer’s unfaithfulness to her husband was a living illustration of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God
—Hosea’s response was a picture of God’s continued love and compassion for Isreal
— Without compassion the Pharisees proved themselves to be more ungodly even then the despised tax-gatherers and sinners, who made no pretense of godliness
Q: John the Baptist preached the Law. What purpose does the Law serve ( 9:14-17 )?
The Illustrations ( 9:14-16)
( 9:14-16 ) Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom 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. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
— John the Baptist’s message was harsh, and it focused on law
— When people look at God’s law they see how far short they fall and repent
— Jesus’ message focused on life, turning to Him in repentance
— John’s disciples had the right start, but they needed to take the next step and turn to Jesus
— Where is your focus — on law or on Christ? Can it be both?
John’s Disciples
— John is in prison and some were loyal enough to follow Jesus around to see if He was really the Messiah and report back to John
— We see them here outside the party of Matthew
— Matthew 11:2 and 3 says, “Now when John was in prison, he heard the works of Christ”
Going Deeper
Why did John’s disciples and the Pharisees often fast?
— The OT prescribed only one day of fasting on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement ( Lev 16:29, 31 ); See Isaiah 58 for God’s desire of fasting
— According to Isa 58:6, 7 and Zech 7:1-10 it was not a literal fast but love (vertical and horizontal) that God demanded
— Along with giving Alms, certain prescribed prayers, twice-weekly fasting was one of the three major expressions of orthodox Judaism during Jesus’ day
— Religious ritual and routine have always been dangerous to true godliness
— Even going to church, reading the bible, saying grace at meals can become lifeless routines
— It was inappropriate for Jesus’ disciples to fast; Jesus compares his blessed presence on earth with a wedding feast
— The God of the bible is not about doing things but knowing Him ( Cambra )
Q: What is the meaning of the wine skin illustration Jesus used ( 9:16-17 )?
— Jesus used the description to explain that he had not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism with its rules and traditions
— His purpose to was bring something new, though it had been prophesied for centuries
— It should be made clear that Jesus’ doing away with the old did not refer to setting aside the divine law and ushering in grace
— The old wineskins were not the teachings of the OT but the rabbinical traditions that had come to overshadow the revealed truth of the OT
— Jesus said that what the Pharisees did in fasting or any other ritual had no part with the gospel
Jesus’s Power over Death ( 9:18-26 )
( 9:18-26 ) While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. 23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.
— The Jewish ruler comes and bows down to Jesus
— Mark and Luke tell us his name was Jairus and he was the highest ranking religious official in Capernaum; identifying with Jesus could one day costs us
— He said come and lay your hand on my daughter; his faith was without reservation or hint of doubt
— Jairus brought a deep need; The person who feels no needs in his life has no hunger for God
— Jesus rose and followed the grieving father
— Jesus is not only accessible to us in prayer but available to help us in our time of need
— Jesus calls her “daughter” and it indicates a spiritual salvation as well
Jesus was Accessible ( 9:18-19 )
( 9:18-19 ) While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
— The synagogue ruler didn’t come to Jesus until his daughter was dead— it was too late for anyone else to help
— Christ can make a difference when it seems to late for anyone else to help
— He can bring healing to broken relationships, release from addicting habits, and forgiveness and healing to emotional scars
— If your situation looks hopeless, remember that Christ can do the impossible
— Desperation by this girl’s father…. Possible cost of his reputation at stake… The rulers faith in 'who Jesus was' that he could provide healing or life
— Somehow convinced even though he had been synagogue leader.
Going Deeper
— From the more detailed accounts of Mark and Luke we learn that when Jairus first came to Jesus, his daughter was not yet dead but was “at the point of death” ( Mk 5:23; cf Lk 8:42 )
— A short while latter messengers from his house inform him that his daughter has died and counseled him not to “trouble the Teacher anymore” ( Mk 5:35)
— Matthew beings the story at this point
Q: What can we learn by way of example from the women who touched Jesus’ garments and received healing? Many people touched Jesus but were not healed. Why ( 9:20-22 )?
Jesus was touchable and impartial ( 9:20-22 )
— The women had suffered for 12 years of bleeding
— For 12 years she had been one of the “untouchables” and unable to lead a normal life
— In our times of desperation we don’t have to worry about the correct way to reach out to God
— Like this women we can simply reach out in faith. He will respond
Going Deeper
— As soon as the women touched Jesus’ cloak she was healed ( Mk 5:29 )
— He became aware of the miraculous occurence only when He realized that the power had gone out of Him ( Lk 8:46 )
— Throughout His earthly ministry thousands came in contact with Jesus but were not “touched” by Him
— Many today like Mahatma Gandhi, Larry King and others have come in contact with Jesus but not been touched by Him
— He knows the difference between a person who approaches Him out of mere religious curiosity and those who come to Him in desperation and real faith
Q: Death can strike God’s people in painful and unexpected ways. Why does God allow these horrible circumstances? Does God use times like these to bring people to himself? ( 9:23-26 )
Jesus was Powerful ( 9:23-26 )
— Jesus touched the little girl and raised her from the dead
— Jesus moved with compassion and tenderness touched her and spoke to her; He could have raised her by saying nothing at all
— The Son of Man demonstrated His power over every enemy including Satan and death; He truly holds “the keys of death and Hades” ( Re 1:18 )
— Does God use times like these to bring people to himself? You bet… God’s eternal view.
— He does not promise to give us explanations for such tragedies
— Instead he gives us the wonderful assurance that “he who believes in me shall live even if he dies” ( Jn 11:25 )
Q: Jesus seemed to ignore the plea from the two blind men. What can this teach us about our own prays for mercy and healing ( 9:27-33 )?
The Miracles of Sight and Sound ( 9:27-33a )
( 9:27-33 ) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
— It is interesting that Jesus at first showed no response to the pleas of the two blind men
— They continued to cry out as the entire crowd moved along with Jesus to the house
— He tested their faith, letting it run to the extremity that proved that it was sincere
—Not everyone who says they want God’s help believes that he can help them
— When you think that God is too slow in answering your prayers, consider that he might be testing you as he did the blind men
Going Deeper
— They cried out “Son of David,” this indicates that they recognized Jesus as the Messiah
— They had the right knowledge about Jesus
— They pleaded, have “mercy on us,” this indicated that they needed not just physical healing but forgiving mercy
— They had the right attitude toward Jesus
— The Jews casts out demons before Jesus, so what is different about Jesus casting out this demon?
— The Rabbis could cast out demons and they did
— However, the procedure for exorcism in Judaism requires the demon to identify himself
— Under Judaism, if you happen to be confronted with a demon whose specialty was to render his possession dumb, he was secure
— That type of demon was NOT exercisable under Judaism
Healing the two Blind Men ( 9:27-32 )
— The blind men were persistent and went right into the house where Jesus was staying
— They knew Jesus could heal them and they let nothing stop them from finding him
— That’s real faith in action
Going Deeper
— The common Greek word for healing was iaomai; Luke used another word, θεραπεύω (therapeuō) (Lk 8:43) from which we get therapeutic
— But, in the three references to being made well in Matthew 9:21-22 as well as the parallel passages in Mark 5:34 and Luke 8:48, use σῴζω (sōzō), to be saved from sin
— It is unfortunate that most English translations to not make clear that all of the renderings of “made well” and “saved” come from the same Greek word
— That fact strongly implies that a redemptive aspect was involved in each of those incidents
The Rejecting Religionists ( 9:34 )
( 9:34 ) But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
— Because they could not deny the fact, they denied the source
— The person who is sold out to darkness refuses to recognize the light, even when it is blindingly clear; no fact or reason can enlighten them
— And the person who praises Jesus but who ignores or rejects Him is just as damned as the person who denounces and rejects Him
— Any response to Jesus but the response of faith amounts to rejection and results in damnation
— This accusation by the Pharisees will result in blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which Jesus addresses latter ( 12:31 )
Q: Was Jesus teaching about a future kingdom or a spiritual kingdom here and now ( 9:35 )?
The Works of the Lord ( 9:35 )
( 9:35 ) Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
— The historian Josephus tells us that at this time there were some 200 cities and villages in the region of Galilee
— The region was 40 miles wide and 70 miles long
— At least three-million people lived there, most of whom could have had direct exposure to Jesus
Q: What did Jesus Preach ( 9:35 )? What did He not preach ?
— preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
— Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom was not about the future kingdom
— His present spiritual kingdom
— He rules our lives, supplies our needs, guarantees our salvation
— In every way He is sovereign over us
— He did not preach about the Gospel as we would understand it
The Harvest and the Laborers ( 9:36-38 )
( 9:36-38 ) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
— Jesus looked at the crowds following him and referred to them as a field ripe for harvest ( they were ripe for judgment )
— Many people are ready to give their lives to Christ if someone would show them how
— Jesus had compassion because the people had a great need; He also ministered because they faced God’s final judgment
— He healed the women with blood ( 9:20-22; cf. Luke 8:41-48 )
— He raised the synagogue leader’s daughter from the dead ( 9:18-19, 23-26; cf. Luke 8:49-56 )
— He healed two blind men ( 9:27-31 )
— He headed a demon possessed mute man ( 9:32-33 )
— The gospel of Mark was written before Matthew and Matthew contains fewer details about these events
— Matthew’s focus was Jesus’ compassion and mercy not extraneous details
— The women with the blood issue had spent all her money, but Matthew leaves it out; Jesus compassion was to restore her physically and socially
— The father of young girl raised from the dead was named Jairus; Jesus’ compassion was for the father’s little girl
The Harvest
Several interpretations of the harvest
The OT Age
— The “harvest” Jesus is referring to is the harvest at the “end of the age”. Which age? The Old Testament age.
— Jesus is on the brink of being rejected by the nation of Israel and will begin to teach on the church age to come after His death
The Church Age
— It represents all the lost, the seekers after God
— This is often used as a call for missionaries to go into the world and share the gospel
God’s Judgment
— In the parable of the wheat and the tares Jesus said that they should be allowed to grow up together and when harvest came the tares would be burned ( Matt 13:30 )
— That parable includes the truth that the harvest will bring the righteous into eternal blessing ( 13:43 ) but the emphasis is clearly on judgment
— On the island of Patmos the apostle John saw that judgment ( Rev 14:14-20; cf. 2 Thess 1:7-9 )
— Paul reminded us of that coming harvest
— “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” ( 2 Cor 5:11 )
— Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ( Ro 12:19 )
— When Jesus saw the crowds, He taught them and preached to them and healed them — all for the ultimate purpose that they might come to Him and escape the harvest of judgment
Q: What kind of work are the workers to do in Matthew 9:37-38?
The workers are few
— The primary problem that hindered Jesus’ ministry as He taught, preached and healed is the problem that hinders us today: the workers were few
— The workers should not be confused with the angelic harvesters mentioned in 13:39 and 49; these are the ἐργάτης (ergatēs) who are also identified as the twelve ( 10:10 )
— Christ’s workers are to pray for more workers; our responsibility is not to first go but to pray
— It is possible to pray for the salvation of a loved one, but when we earnestly pray for the Lord to send someone to those unsaved people, we cannot help becoming open to being that someone ourselves
Compassion
— The opposite of life is not death, it is indifference
— Compassion & mercy is a spiritual exercise
Q: How have you encountered Jesus in your acts of compassion ?
Summary of Christ’s Credentials from Chapter 8-9
Power over Disease 8:1-17
Leprosy vv. 1-4
Palsy vv. 5-13
Fever vv. 14-17
Power over Nature 8:18-27
Power over Satan 8:28-34
Power over Sin 9:1-17
Power over Death 9:18-26
Power over Darkness 9:27-31
Power over Demons 9:32-38
Additional Resources
MacArthur, John. Matthew 8-15. Moody Press, 1987.
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.
Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.
Questions: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%208.html
J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.
William Hendriksen. Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1973.
Reeves, Michael. Enjoy Your Prayer Life. 10 Publishing, 2014.