HEALING, CALLING, FASTING - MATTHEW 9:1-17

 

Healing A Paralyzed Man

9:1-7

Jesus had been on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, having crossed over to avoid the crowds. ((8:18) In this story, he crossed back over to Capernaum on the northwestern shore. Matthew wrote that he (Jesus)  came to his own city because Jesus had moved there from Nazareth. 

Peter lived in Capernaum. Jesus may have stayed with him. The following story may have occurred at Peter’s house.

This story of healing a paralyzed man is the same story recorded in Mark 2 and Luke 5. Matthew abbreviated the story, leaving out details that were not relevant to the point he wanted to make. Matthew does not tell us about the friends digging through the roof and dropping the man in front of Jesus.

But, Jesus is confronted with a paralyzed man who has been brought to him by friends. Jesus was impressed by their faith. The paralytic and his friends believed Jesus could and would heal him.

Jesus addressed the man as “my son”. This does not imply a familial relationship; it is simply an affectionate term used by a man to address a younger man. 

But, rather than touching the man and healing him, Jesus declares his sins forgiven. This implies a connection between the man’s sins and his paralysis. However, this is not the point if the story either.

The point of the event is to show Jesus’ authority. We see this from the context. In the previous stories, Jesus showed his authority over disease, over demons, and over nature. Here he shows his authority to forgive sins. 

So, Matthew moves on to the point. He noted that there were some scribes present and they began to say to each other that Jesus was blaspheming. They believed, rightly, that only God can forgive sins. Since Jesus was declaring the man’s sins forgiven, he was claiming to be God. 

Jesus knew their thoughts. This may have been part of his divine nature, but it could also be that he knew the scribes and how they thought, so he knew what they were thinking and saying. 

Jesus called their thinking evil. It is evil because they are denying Jesus’ divinity (that he is God). (4) Note the contrast: first he discerns the faith of the paralytic and his friends, now he discerns, knows, the evil thoughts of the scribes. 

He confronts them with a question, saying which is easier, to say sins are forgiven, or to say rise and walk, healing the man. (5) 

In our view, we would say it is easier to say your sins are forgiven, because that is not something you can see. But in the view of the scribes, it was more difficult to say your sins are forgiven because only God could do it. 

So, Jesus agreed to do the easier thing: he said rise and walk, and the man did. Yet, how could Jesus do this? A man of God could not commit blasphemy in one breath and declare healing, a power from God, in the next. 

Jesus, therefore, proved his ability to do the more difficult thing by doing the lesser thing. He proved his authority to forgive sins by demonstrating his authority to heal disease. He is the Son of Man. He is also God with us, Immanuel, whom God sent to save his people from their sins. This is exactly what the angel of the Lord said to Joseph: you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”. (1:21)

Calling Matthew

9:9-13

As Jesus left Capernaum, he came upon a tax booth, likely at the border between the territories of Philip and Herod Antipas. If one were bringing goods from one territory to the other, one would be required to stop at the tax booth and pay an excise tax on those goods. 

Matthew was a tax collector. He was sitting in the tax booth, responsible for collecting the taxes. Tax collectors were often despised in Israel for cooperating with the Roman oppressors. In addition, they made an income from those collections and many were dishonest. They were considered sinners by the Pharisees. 

Matthew was, therefore, an unlikely candidate for disciple of a rabbi. But, Jesus had authority to forgive sin. He called Matthew to follow him and Matthew immediately followed. (9) 

Matthew evidently threw a party to introduce Jesus to his friends. He invited many tax collectors and other sinners. Sinners may have included those who did not follow the strict rules of the Pharisees, but otherwise kept the law. That is what the New International Version tries to convey by putting the word “sinners” in quotation marks. 

They all reclined at a dinner table with Jesus and his disciples, probably in a courtyard in front of the house. Matthew must have been wealthy to have a table big enough for all these people.

The Pharisees observed the dinner. They saw Jesus dining with all these sinners. Jesus and his disciples risked  ceremonial defilement for eating with sinners. They asked the disciples why Jesus, their teacher, ate with these people. This question was more of an accusation than a search for information. 

Jesus heard them and took the opportunity to reply. He replied with a medical metaphor. It is the sick who need a physician, not those who are well. (12) He meant, sinners were the exact people who needed a savior. Therefore, the savior went to them. 

Jesus then quoted Hosea 6:6 from the Septuagint. The word translated as mercy is “hesed”. It often means covenant love. The English Standard Version in Hosea 6:6 uses the term “steadfast love”. The point made in Hosea was that although the Israelites had continued to perform the rituals of temple worship, they had lost the meaning and the requirement to love God. 

Jesus was, therefore, telling the Pharisees they were more aligned in attitude with those apostate Israelites of Hosea’s time than with true worship. Their belief in their righteousness was misplaced as was their concept of the Messiah. Jesus corrected both. His mission was to save sinners. Those who refused to see themselves as sinners excluded themselves from salvation and the kingdom. 

The Old v. The New

9:14-17

Some disciples of John came to Jesus asking why his disciples did not fast. They noted that both they and the Pharisees fasted. The Jews had invented many fast days beyond that required in the Law.

Jesus heard the question and answered with 3 metaphors:

1. Wedding guests with the bridegroom

2. New cloth patched on old garments

3. Old wineskins with new wine.

Jesus said he is the bridegroom. He draws on the Father calling himself the bridegroom in the Old Testament (Isaiah 62:5; Hosea 2:19-20)

As long as the bridegroom is with the wedding guests, there is no mourning. But when he is taken away (the Ascension) they will fast.  

Jesus pointed out that you do not put a new piece of cloth that is not pre-shrunk as a patch on an old garment, for it will put away from the old cloth and make a new tear. When I was a little boy, my parents were very frugal. They would buy blue jeans (denim pants) for me to wear and they would buy them too long for me so I could grow into them.

At first, I would have to roll up the bottoms to the correct length. But as I grew, the cuffs would get shorter and shorter until I did not need to roll them up. But, sometimes the knee would wear out before I outgrew the length. My mother would iron on a denim patch to cover the hole. 

But, if the patch was not pre-shrunk, or my mother did not wash it, it would shrink and create a new tear. That is sort of what Jesus is talking about. You do not patch old cloth with new cloth.

Lastly, wineskins were made from animal skins. As they got old, they got stiff and less pliable. As the gases from new wine fermenting stretch the skin, it will rupture the old skin and ruin both the skin and the wine. So you put new wine in new wineskins that are pliable and can expand with the gases and not rupture.

Jesus was saying he brings something new. His kingdom is not just a graft onto the old covenant. There is a new relationship with God that obviates the need for the old ceremonies and observances.

We can love, fellowship with, and obey God if we are in Christ.

We do not require priests, temples, or sacrifices of animals to do so.  

JESUS' AUTHORITY OVER SICKNESS - MATTHEW 8:1-17

Jesus Healing A Leper

8:1-7

Having ended the Sermon On The Mount, Jesus enters into several interactions that involve healing and faith. There is still a large crowd following him. 

Matthew ended his record of the sermon by saying Jesus taught as one with authority. Matthew will now show us that Jesus has authority over disease as well.

As a side note, these events are likely not in chronological order. So, you might find the same or similar events in the other gospels in other places of the timeline. The reason is that Matthew often puts events together that have the same theme, showing the same thing about Jesus. 

The first encounter is with a leper, a skin disease. Generally, no one would come near a leper. The Old Covenant law had several regulations concerning this. A leper had to live alone outside the camp or city. He had to wear torn clothes. When he walked around, he had to cry out “unclean, unclean”. (Leviticus 13:45-48) 

People would avoid coming near a leper to avoid contracting the disease. You can imagine the life of this poor man. He wore ragged clothes. He was lonely. He suffered from the disease. He was a pariah to everyone. 

Yet, he was driven to approach Jesus. He came near him and knelt before him. He called Jesus “Lord”, a term of respect. It may be used like we would use the word “sir” today. Or, it may have been a recognition of Jesus’ deity. He acknowledged the ability of Jesus to heal him. Thus, he showed great faith in Jesus. 

Jesus expressed his willingness to heal him. He reached out and touched the man, something no one else would do. It would make a person ceremonially unclean to do so. But, Jesus could not be made unclean.

So, Jesus healed the man. He made him clean. He told him to obey the requirements of the Law regarding his healing, but not to tell anyone how it happened. 

The Centurion’s Servant

8:5-13

The next event occurs at Capernaum, Peter’s home town. There a centurion came to Jesus. He also referred to Jesus as “Lord”, something a Roman officer would not do to a Jewish man. 

A centurion was a professional Roman army officer. He commanded 100 men, known as a century. Obtaining this rank meant the man was brave, competent in leadership, and responsible. Centurions are usually presented in a good light in the gospels.

As an officer and a Roman, it is notable that he would come to Jesus on behalf of one of his servants. Jesus volunteered to come to the centurion’s home to heal the man.

But the centurion did not believe he was worthy of having Jesus come into his home, showing great humility. He believed, also, that Jesus could just declare the man healed and he would be healed. This showed great faith.

It also shows us the profound thinking of the centurion, greater than any Jew had expressed, for he understood that Jesus was under the authority of God the Father and, therefore, had the authority of God vested in him. That included the authority and power to heal.

Jesus acknowledged and commended the man’s faith. Matthew said “he marveled” at it. (10) He declared that he had not found this level of faith in anyone in Israel.  So, he told the man the servant would be healed and the servant was immediately healed. Jesus did not have to physically touch someone to heal them. He could simply declare it.

Jesus also taught a little lesson to those within hearing range. It was about the salvation of Gentiles. He said many will come from the east and west of Israel and be saved. They would recline at table with the patriarchs in the kingdom, meaning the wedding feast of the lamb. 

The marriage, or wedding feast of the Lamb is described in Revelation 19:7-9. It is when all evil has been destroyed and the church, all believers, come and commune with the Lord Jesus, symbolized in a supper. 

In contrast, Jesus said many Jews (sons  or subjects of the kingdom) will be cast into hell. It is described as a place of outer darkness and a place of agony (weeping and gnashing of teeth). (12) 

Peter’s Mother-in-Law

8:14-17

When Jesus came into Peter’s house in Capernaum, he found Peter’s mother in law sick with a fever. He touched her hand and healed her. Notice that all of these healings are instantaneous. 

Evidently, word got out about this healing and people from the town began to bring their sick to Jesus. The fact that they waited until evening may suggest that this was a Sabbath day. They would be required to wait for the Sabbath to end at sundown. Regardless, He healed all of them. 

They also brought him many who were oppressed by demons. There seems to have been much demonic activity in the region. Jesus cast out the spirits with a word. He did not need chants or ceremonies to cast them out. This shows he had authority over demons.

Matthew again cites the Old Testament to say Jesus fulfilled it. In this case, the healing of diseases fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4, which Matthew recited. This may be Matthew’s own translation of the verse since it does not match the Septuagint which is often quoted in the New Testament. 

Regardless, Jesus is shown as exercising his authority over illness and demons, ushering in the kingdom, or inaugurating it. When the kingdom is consummated, it will be as described in Revelation 21:4:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

FALSE V. TRUE - MATTHEW 7:15-28

 False Prophets

7:15-20

Further showing that God allows and expects us to be discerning if found in his warning about false prophets who will come. They look like sheep, but they are wolves. They mislead people by misinterpreting Scripture, by introducing the practices of other religions, and claiming new revelations. 

And they came quickly! Around 48 A.D., teachers from Judea came to Antioch and taught that the Gentiles had to become circumcised before they could be saved. In effect, they had to embrace Judaism before they could become Christians. Paul and Barnabas opposed them. This led to the conference in Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15. The apostles and elders rejected the teaching of the Judaizers. 

About the same time, the same group came to the churches of Galatia, teaching a works based salvation based on Judaism. Paul wrote Galatians to correct this false teaching. 

The author of the book of Hebrews argued against returning to Judaism. He warned against strange teachings. 

John tells us: “Beloved do not believer every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world”. (1John 4:1) He also warned of “many deceivers who have gone out into the world” teaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh. (2 John 1:7) 

They continue to come. How do we know them? 

One way we recognize them is by their fruits. A grapevine produces grapes, not thorns. A fig tree produces figs.  Jesus’ audience knew those plants and knew that Jesus told the truth. 

Jesus also said a healthy tree produces good fruit. The opposite is also true. A diseased tree bears bad fruit. 

It is the same with prophets and preachers. Thus, we can recognize false prophets by what they produce. 

First, we can look at their message. Is it Biblical? Remember the Bereans in Acts 17. They heard Paul’s message, then examined the scriptures to see if Paul’s message was true. Know your Bible and you will know the truth.

Second, we can look at their lifestyle. Are they faithful in marriage or sexually immoral? Do they live extravagantly and claim God wants them to live this way? 

How do they treat other people? Are they arrogant and demanding? Are they mean? Do they possess the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23? 

Third, how do they relate to the church? Do they attend a church and participate in it? Are they divisive within the church body? 

It is important that shepherds protection the sheep of their flock from the wolves. But, the sheep should also be discerning and aware of false prophets.

Ultimately, God will judge false prophets. Jesus said trees that bear bad fruit are cut down and burned in the fire. (19) This is a metaphor used to illustrate the eternal destiny of false prophets. 

False Disciples

7:21-23

Not only will there be false prophets to the church, there will be false disciples in the congregation. There will be those who seemed to profess faith in Christ, but did not truly do so. 

How do we know those false disciples? It can be difficult. James gives us some guidance:

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a heart of he word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:23-25)

The one who reads and studies God’s word and applies it to himself, or herself, is a doer of the word. That person grows in faith, endures hard times, loves and serves others, and constantly seeks to obey God’s word.

The one who hears only is the one who reads the Bible, or hears a sermon, and deflects from himself to others or ignores it altogether. That person never grows and may even be a false disciple. 

How we deal with non-believers in our congregations is often a topic of discussion. Once current term is “regenerate membership”, the idea that only genuine believers should be considered members of the church. That is why our church requires prospective members to attend the First Steps class and an interview with an elder. 

The Rock On Which You Build Your House

7:24-27

Jesus closed his sermon with a promise and a warning. The promise is that the doer of the word builds his life around Christ, his word, and the church, will not fall. He or she weathers the storms of life in faith. You could call it a rock solid faith.

In contrast, those who do not build their lives upon God and his word will risk falling and even being destroyed. 

The Crowd’s Reaction

7:28-29

The people who heard this sermon were astonished. Jesus taught as one with authority. The scribes quoted famous rabbis for authority, but Jesus did not.

That is because Jesus had authority as the Son God. He said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. (Matthew 28:18) Jesus will demonstrate his authority, as well as his divinity, in the miracles he performs in the following chapters. 

So, Jesus calls us to make a radical choice to live differently that the world, taking the narrow road, doing what the word says, not what the world says. We imitate Christ in obedience, in love, and in service.