Matthew 9

1 – 2

Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed. The man was lying on his mat. Jesus saw that these people had great faith, so he said to the paralyzed man, “Be happy, young man. Your sins are forgiven.”

These men wanted their friend to be healed. They did not think that their friend needed to give his life to Jesus. Sometimes when we are helping people we need to ask them first if they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that His death on the cross paid the price for their sins, and that He rose from the dead to give us new life.

People come to us with many problems, but the first thing is to bring them to Christ and many of these problems will go away! What is more important, seeing a miracle or seeing someone give their life to Jesus?

3. Some of the teachers of the law heard this. They said to themselves, “This man speaks as if he were God—that is blasphemy!”

This is the beginning of these Jewish teachers following Jesus around and trying to find something bad to say about Him.

These men were listening to evil spirits giving them imaginations about Jesus. The Bible says to stop thoughts of imaginations and fill your mind with God’s Words instead. 2 Corinthians 10:5

4 – 8

Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts? Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’?

But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up. Take your mat and go home.” And the man stood up and went home. The people saw this and were amazed. They praised God for giving power like this to men.

Because the man was healed this proved that his sins were forgiven. The people gave glory to God. Be careful when someone says that they have a spiritual gift and then when they do something people give glory to a man instead of to God.

9. When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew. Matthew was sitting in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew stood up and followed Jesus.

The people hated tax collectors. They would say that Matthew had turned against his own people. Matthew was tired of this life and left everything to follow Jesus.

10 – 11

Jesus had dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers. The Pharisees saw this and asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

A famous man who did not believe in God said that he could not understand Christians. He said. “If I thought that my friends were going to be in hell forever I would never stop trying to save them. If Christians really believe this, then why are they not telling everybody?” Matthew wanted all of his friends to meet Jesus.

12 – 13

Jesus heard the Pharisees ask this. So he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor. Go and learn what this means: ‘I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices.’ I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”

People are without hope and slaves to sin. Jesus also said that people who have done many evil things will go into heaven before some people who think that they are very good. Hosea 6:6

14. Then the followers of John came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees often give up eating. But your followers do not. Why?”

The Jewish teachers were hoping that Jesus would mix together his teaching with their teachings. They wanted everybody to think that they were very spiritual.

15. Jesus answered, “The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. Then his friends are sad, and they will give up eating.

Sometimes we go without eating to show God that we want to be weak so that He can be strong in our lives. We do not let anybody know that we are doing this. It does not matter if you just skip a meal, or only drink juice for a day, or eat nothing -what matters is that you are showing God that you need His help and you want to hear from Him.

16 – 17

When someone sews a patch over a hole in an old coat, he never uses a piece of cloth that is not yet shrunk. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat. Then the hole will be worse.

Also, people never pour new wine into old leather bags for holding wine. If they do, the old bags will break. The wine will spill, and the wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new wine bags. Then the wine and the wine bags will continue to be good.”

Jesus is saying that you will need new ways because the teaching He gives you will grow so much that you will need room to stretch your thinking.

18 – 19

While Jesus was saying these things, a ruler of the synagogue came to him. The ruler bowed down before Jesus and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and touch her with your hand, and she will live again.” So Jesus stood up and went with the ruler. Jesus’ followers went too.

Some people say that God knows everything so they do not have to pray. They say that God should just take care of them if He is a good God. We like to be asked when someone wants us to do something for them. Sometimes God waits to see how badly we want something before He answers.

20 – 22

Then a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. She was thinking, “If I can touch his coat, then I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw the woman. He said, “Be happy, dear woman. You are made well because you believed.” And the woman was healed at once.

She crawled on the ground so that nobody could see her in the crowd. The Jewish laws said that she was not supposed to touch anybody because she was unclean. We need to see that people outside of the church feel that they do not belong and we need to tell them that we also did not belong but God pulled us into His house and He is also pulling them!

23 – 26

Jesus continued along with the ruler and went into the ruler’s house. Jesus saw people there who play music for funerals. And he saw many people there crying. Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead. She is only asleep.” But the people laughed at Jesus. After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went into the girl’s room. He took her hand, and she stood up. The news about this spread all around the area.

Jesus uses the word for sleep sometimes when we think of death. In God’s world final death means to be forever separated from God. To Him it is no problem to bring someone back from death so He does think of it the way we do.
Peter was in the room and remembered this when he had the same kind of problem in Acts 9:41.

27. When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, “Show kindness to us, Son of David!”

The Pharisees call Him Jesus of Nazareth and did want to think about how He is the Son of David.

28 – 31

Jesus went inside, and the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?” They answered, “Yes, Lord.”

Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “You believe that I can make you see again. So this will happen.” Then the men were able to see. But Jesus warned them very strongly, saying, “Do not tell anyone about this.” But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus all around that area.

Jesus healed many other people, but these men wanted a new life of following Jesus every day. Jesus is asking you today, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Is there something you need to see that you have been blind to?

32 – 34

When the two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon in him. Jesus forced the demon to leave the man. Then the man who could not talk was able to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “The leader of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.”

Miracles show God’s power but people can still try to explain away a miracle. There are evil spirits who try to keep men from talking.

35 – 36

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Gospel of the kingdom. And he healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. He saw the crowds of people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd.

Sheep need a pastor-shepherd who cares more about them than he does himself.

37 – 38

Jesus said to his followers, “There are many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest. Pray to him that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest.”

As the world goes down into more evil men are seeing that they are trapped and are ready to listen more than ever before. This is why we need to be full of God’s Word and ready to share it. God is the One who changes them, He sends us to prepare the way! What is the reason there are not more workers?