Last week we learned that Jesus has the authority and power over disease, people, nature, and Satan's forces. This week we see 5 miracles of Jesus. These passages are full of lessons. They teach us that Jesus is God, that sin paralyzes us, and we should surround ourselves with Christian friends who will stand by us and help us in our time of need. It's not just about the healing. What Jesus wanted to do was to change the hea
Matthew 9:1-7 – Freedom to Walk
Jesus came to his own city, Capernaum as noted in Matthew 4:13. Four friends of a paralytic man brought him to Jesus. The Gospels Mark 2 and Luke 5 give much more information, but Matthew has included the essential facts. The friends couldn’t find a way to get to Jesus, because of the crowd so they carried him up to the roof and lowered him down through the roof in front of Jesus where He was teaching. Jesus saw the faith of the friends, not the paralyzed man himself. He told the paralytic to "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." - Matt. 9:2. Jesus told him to get up and go home. When to crowd saw this, they were amazed and praised God.
The teachers of the law on the other hand said this was blasphemy. Blasphemy is doing something that only God can do. They assumed that Jesus was not God. People today react in the same ways. Either they are in awe of Jesus or they ridicule and judge Him as well as other Christians.
People today are paralyzed in various ways. They are spiritually in need, spiritually paralyzed, or even alienated from spiritual life. God honors faith when we intercede for others. As Christians we can bring people to Jesus to be restored by praying for them, living a good example, being a witness, quoting just the right scripture at the right time, and being nonjudgmental. We all sin, but Jesus frees us from the power of sin. We recognize sin quicker and we don't have to live with the guilt and weight of sin.
Sin is the most important thing in this healing. It was the forgiveness of his sins. Jesus knew the most important thing was not to heal him. Just because we're sick doesn’t mean sin is in our lives or that well people are not sinners. Jesus is not required to heal and forgive, but He does it because of His love. Ask God to show you your sin and when He does ask Him to forgive you.
Principle: God's grace empowers the forgiven to walk in new life with new strength.
Matthew 9:9-17 – Freedom to Follow
Right in the middle of Jesus' miracles Matthew includes his calling from Jesus. He was an unlikely character to be a follower of Jesus. Matthew's other name was Levi (Mark 2:14). He was a tax collector. Jesus saw Matthew sitting in the tax collectors booth and told him to "follow me" and Matthew without hesitation got up and followed Him (Matt. 9:9). Matthew may have heard about Jesus before this or even listened to when He taught. Matthew invited Jesus to his house and prepared a meal for Him and other sinners, including other tax collectors. Jesus knew the heart of Matthew. He knew it was time for him to accept the call. Matthew left everything to follow Jesus.
Almost everyone hated tax collectors because they worked for the Roman government. The Pharisees found fault with Jesus eating with lowly tax collectors. Jesus rebuked them harshly, because the Pharisees were judgmental holding themselves above others. They had become all about rules, power and money. They refused to give up their lives and social stature causing them to lose eternal life. We should all be like Matthew. We should leave our sins behind and not be like the Pharisees.
The Pharisees asked, “Why does you teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners” – Matt. 9:11. The answer is simple. Jesus is a friend of sinners. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Rom 5:8.
The following verses give evidence of a person who has responded to Jesus' call:
Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27 - One who denies
self and takes up his cross.
Rom. 6:2, 18 - One who has died
to sin, is freed from sin and has become a slave to righteousness.
1 Thess. 1:9 - One who has turned
from idols to the true God.
1 John 1:8-10 - One who has
confessed sin.
Have you confessed your sins to God?
The Pharisees were also known for their practice of fasting, but they didn’t do it out of a spirit of humble repentance. They did it to impress themselves and others. In Matt. 9:14-17 John the Baptist’s disciples asked why Jesus and His disciples didn’t fast like them or the Pharisees. He said the time has not yet come for mourning. After He dies, then they will fast. Jesus talked about the bridegroom. Who is the bridegroom? It is Jesus. (Is. 62:5, Hosea 2:19-20). The guests are the disciples. We, the church are His bride. Jesus also talked about old and new cloths and wineskins. Jesus or the gospel is the new wine or new cloth. We cannot patch the new wineskins with old traditions of sacrifice and legalism. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Cor. 5:17. Jesus didn't come to amend the law. We cannot patch Jesus into our lives. He makes us new and we are a new creation in Him.
Principle: God's grace calls us to give up old, self-centered ways and follow Jesus.
What way is He asking you to follow Him?
Following Jesus does not mean you will not sin, but you won't have to live a life with the guilt of sin. Sin will not enslave you anymore.
Matthew 9:18-27 – Freedom to Live
One of the synagogue rulers came to Jesus pleading for Him to help his daughter who had just died. He asked Jesus to come and put His hand on her so she would live. Of course, He went to his house and healed her (Matt. 9:23-25). His daughter probably had been sick for some time and perhaps he had turned to Jesus as a last resort. We assume he had some faith since he did go to Jesus for help. He wasn't worried what the others would think and Jesus was not judgmental of him. Jesus knew his heart and showed love and compassion toward him. The news spread throughout the region.
A woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up behind Jesus believing if she just touched His garment she would be healed. She touched his cloak and immediately she was healed. Jesus said "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." - Matt. 9:22. Jesus showed His willingness and recognized her faith and by His power she was healed.
This woman was an outcast in society. She lived 12 years in a hopeless situation. She was sick, lonely and feeling hopeless. She heard about Jesus and by faith she believed Jesus could heal her. She believed He could do the impossible. She was desperate enough to seek out Jesus. Deliverance can be immediately or over a period of time, but with God all things are possible.
What about you? Do you believe God for the impossible today?
Two blind men followed Jesus and called out, "have mercy on us, Son of David!" - Matt. 9:27. By calling Him the Son of David, they believed He was the Messiah. Again Jesus healed them because of their faith. He told them to tell no one. Jesus didn’t want to be known only for His physical healing, but to be known that He was sent by God for spiritual healing. They didn’t obey Jesus. They were probably so excited that they could see, they told everyone of the miracle.
Each time Jesus healed the crowds were amazed. Then there were others who were blind to the glory of God that they blasphemed God and His Son saying Jesus obtained His power from the prince of demons. People respond in the same ways today. Some are in awe of Him and give Him the glory and others blaspheme, ridicule and doubt.
There were many other healings done by Jesus, but Matthew focused on Him as the Messiah, the Promised King.
Principle: All things are possible with God.
What in your life will you ask God for to exercise your faith?
What great examples of faith we see in this chapter. I pray that God will strengthen my faith to be like these. This lesson shows us Jesus' deep compassion for men, women, and children who are without a shepherd. He came to earth to be your Shepherd.
Wow! What a lesson? See you next week for the next Matthew study -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
______________________________________________________
If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.
Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment