Raising A Daughter, Healing A Woman
9:18-26
In the remainder of chapter 9, Matthew continues to tells us the series of healings that began in 8:28 with two interruptions. The first interruption was one who came to follow Jesus and was told the cost of doing so. (8:18-22) The second was the disciples of John asking about fasting. (9:14-17)
The first healing story is an interruption of the interruption. While Jesus was explaining the fasting issue at the dinner table, a synagogue ruler came into the house and knelt before him. He was desperate. His daughter had just died and he wanted Jesus to come and restore her life, to resurrect her. (19) His kneeling before Jesus is an act of humility and respect.
He believed Jesus could do this by touching her. (18) Jesus got up from the table and followed the man to his home. The disciples followed Jesus.
On the way to the ruler’s house, however, another interruption occurs. A woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up and touched the fringe, or tassels, at the bottom of Jesus’ garment. The Jews were required to wear these tassels on their garments. God gave this command while they were in the wilderness. Numbers 15:37-41 says:
The LORD said to Moses,“Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”
The woman had great faith in Jesus, believing she would be healed if she only touched his garment. Jesus acknowledged her faith and healed her instantly. (22)
Continuing on to the ruler’s house, Jesus did touch the daughter’s hand and resurrected her. As you would expect, people all through the area told others about this. (25)
There is also here some contrast between the faith of the different people. Remember the centurion? He believed Jesus could heal his servant without going to him. He could just say the word. Here, the Jewish ruler wanted Jesus to come to his home and touch her.
The woman who was bleeding did not need Jesus’ attention, she believed just touching the bottom of his robe was enough. The Jewish leader barged into Matthew’s house during their dinner and captured Jesus’ attention.
Then there were the professional mourners and flute players outside the ruler’s house. They laughed at Jesus, not believing at all that he could restore her life. (24) They may have even believed Jesus could heal illness. But they did not believe he could restore life. He proved them wrong. He showed his authority over even death.
Two Blind Men
9:27-31
After this resurrection, Jesus returned to Matthew’s house. Two blind men followed him into the house. They are notable because they referred to Jesus as “Son of David”. This is the first time Jesus is called that in Matthew’s gospel.
This is a term for the Messiah\Christ who is a descendant of David, according to God’s promise to David. (2 Samuel 7:12-16) The blind men were confessing Jesus as the Messiah.
There was much expectation in Israel that the Messiah would come soon. They believed the statement of Isaiah concerning the Messiah: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…”. (Isaiah 35:5) The blind men believed that Jesus, being the Messiah, would have mercy on them and would give them their sight.
The men also affirmed to Jesus their faith that Jesus could heal their blindness. So, Jesus healed them. He gave them sight (opened their eyes).
Jesus told the men not to tell anyone what happened, but they did. They would have been asked why they were able to see after being blind. The men would have been excited to tell them. So Jesus’ fame continued to grow in the area.
The Quiet Man
9:32-34
Jesus’ next encounter was with a man oppressed by a demon. The demon made the man mute, unable to speak. Jesus cast out the demon, allowing the man to speak. Jesus exercised authority over the demon just as he exercised authority over illness and death.
The people watching had never seen this kind of thing. They marveled at it. They had been helpless in the presence of demons. Jesus was not. He had authority over them. As he enlarged his kingdom, he cast out the former power, Satan and his demons. Jesus would later say he bound Satan, the “strong man”. (Matthew 12:29)
The Pharisees, however, refused to believe. They accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of demons (Satan). That is ridiculous, of course. Satan would not relinquish his power to Jesus willingly. Rather, Jesus was expanding his kingdom and taking from the kingdom of Satan.
Jesus put it this way: “now will the ruler of this world be cast out”. (John 12:31)
The Compassionate Christ
9:35-38
Jesus continued to travel across the area, visiting everywhere from small villages to cities. He taught in synagogues, his fame giving him the status to be invited to speak. When he taught, he proclaimed to gospel of the kingdom.
As Jesus went, he healed those who came to him. He cast out demons from them. Yes, he did this to bring in his kingdom. But, he also did it because he had compassion for them. He saw them. They were harassed and helpless in the face of Satan’s power and their own sin. They were like sheep, basically defenseless.
They needed a shepherd. Their shepherds had failed them. Their kings and the priests had failed them. God had already judged them. He said this through the prophet Ezekiel, as recorded in Ezekiel 34:1-10.
God also promised and vowed to be their shepherd by providing one from the line of David to be their shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:23) Jesus is that Shepard. He called himself the “good shepherd”. (John 10:11, 14)
Jesus also knew that more shepherds, or “under shepherds” were needed. He called them laborers. (37) He told his disciples to pray that the Father would send more laborers because there was a great harvest to be had.
The first of these laborers were the Twelve Jesus called and to whom he gave authority to expand the kingdom, as we will see in chapter 10.
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