1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
The events of this chapter are so stirring and spectacular it seems incredible that His fame was not impossibly powerful in Israel. But the fact that He did not work (as yet) these miracles in Jerusalem contributed to lower His profile. Much of His ministry was to the poor and out-of-the-way folk in the northern countryside. Apparently Jesus did this purposely (see Mat 8:4, 9:30). This dual chapter of miracles (ch8-9) will showcase Jesus’ power in a variety of ways and areas, and they conclusively demonstrate His heavenly authority and power, such that after the tenth miracle the people marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel (Mat 9:31). The first miracle of this chapter is an important one, for it shows Jesus with the power to forgive sins.
- Jesus touches the leper and heals him (Mat 8:2-4).
- He heals the centurion’s servant on his deathbed (Mat 8:5-13).
- He heals Peter’s mother-in-law of a severe fever (Mat 8:14-15).
- He stills the winds and waves with His word (Mat 8:23-27).
- He casts out a legion of demons from two men (Mat 8:28-34).
- He forgives the paralytic man’s sins and heals him (Mat 9:2-7).
- He heals the unclean woman from an issue of blood (Mat 9:20-22).
- He raised the ruler’s daughter from the dead (Mat 9:23-25).
- He opens the eyes of two blind men (Mat 9:27-30).
- He casts a demon out of a man who could not speak and heals him (Mat 9:32-33).
2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Jesus had already performed amazing miracles that could not be explained outside of the power of God. Nevertheless, many continued in their skepticism, especially the Pharisees and doctors of the Law, who are noted to have witnessed this healing (Luke 5:17). Here, Jesus gave the theologians an undeniable proof of His deity. Instead of healing this man’s paralyzed body, He pronounced the man forgiven of his sins. And then, to prove that He really had authority to forgive, Jesus said the word and the man was healed!
The stubborn and critical-minded scribes knew that only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7), but amazingly they were still not willing to believe that He was the Son of God. Even the more open-minded multitudes seem to have missed the connection, for instead of recognizing Him as the Son of God, they marvelled and glorified God which had given such power unto men. Perhaps their unbelief is not so surprising, for various churches today also refuse to believe that Jesus is divine. Unfortunately, they find themselves standing with these unbelieving crowds. Some are analytic-minded theologians like the scribes, others are easily-swayed observers like the crowds of witnesses.
So-called “faith-healers” try to hinge all acts of healing on the amount of faith the sick person has, but in this case Jesus was more impressed with the faith of those that brought the invalid: Jesus, seeing their faith… The parallel accounts in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26 explain that the four helpers had found the path to Jesus completely blocked by people, but undeterred they carried the paralyzed man, bed and all, up onto the roof and removed the tiling to lower the man down directly in front of Christ. For this action, and not simply the act of believing, Jesus recognized their faith. It was a faith that worked to attain the blessing. To the scribes and Pharisees, this amazing act of healing did nothing to change their hardened hearts. Instead, it sent them into even wilder thoughts of judgment. He is blaspheming! Three striking miracles: healing the body of a paralyzed man, healing the soul of a sinner and revealing the inner thoughts of the scribes. Yet in their blind jealousy the Jewish leaders dismissed these acts that God only can perform and even attributed them to Satan (Mat 9:34).
9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Contrast Matthew’s response to the disciple of the previous chapter, who asked permission to bury his father first (Mat 8:21). Matthew was a hated tax-collector, a Jew who worked for the Romans in the city of Capernaum. As a rule, tax-collectors cheated the people and kept much of the tax money for themselves. They were part of that group commonly called the publicans and sinners (see next verses). Jesus however, saw something good in Matthew and asked him to become His disciple. To follow Jesus was a not a simple decision – the pay was zero and the danger was high. Yet Matthew was willing. He left all, rose up, and followed Him (Luke 5:28). So there are a few rich young rulers who do heed Christ’s commandments. Matthew changed his life completely and followed Jesus until his death.
In the parallel passages, Matthew is called, a publican named Levi (Luke 5:27) and, Levi the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), but in the lists of the disciples his name is Matthew (Mat 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15). Both Matthew and James the Less were sons of Alphaeus, but it is not known if they were brothers, or if their fathers shared the same name (see note John 19:25).
The first six Apostles had been disciples of John the Baptist: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael knew each other well and were introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist (John 1:35-51). These six were sincere, righteous, radical, God-seekers. But with Matthew, the mold was broken, for he was a “person of the world.” Living in Capernaum, Jesus’ adopted hometown, he could not have been ignorant of Jesus’ fame in working miracles and righteous teaching. To hear Jesus call his own name, he, a known publican and sinner, must have been overwhelming (Rom 5:8) and Matthew did not disappoint Christ’s calling. Luke describes Matthew making a great feast at his house, inviting other publicans and sinners along with Jesus (Luke 5:27-32); the righteous scribes and Pharisees were not impressed.
Matthew’s example is a strong encouragement for those who later in life wake up to find themselves deep in sin and far from God. Jesus is still ready to receive, still calling, “Follow Me.” It is never too late to repent, turn from a wicked lifestyle and follow the Master. It will not be easy, but the angels in heaven rejoice when such an one overcomes sin, self and the world to rise victorious in life by death with Christ. As someone once said, “The Christian life is hard work with low pay up front, but the retirement benefits are out of this world.”
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
From the parallel passage, it is clear that this was Matthew’s own house (Luke 5:29). In writing his Gospel however, Matthew refuses to make that known, nor to draw any attention to himself. In the next chapter’s listing of the Twelve Apostles he is, Matthew the publican. There was no worse title or profession among the Jews than that of publican. Matthew however, was clearly a humble man, a man aware of his need for God and grateful for Christ’s mercy and grace in saving him.
It is indeed wonderful for the vilest sinner to realize that Jesus loves and associates Himself with such as these. He is able to save to the uttermost every sinner that will but call upon Him in true faith and repentance. What a different Gospel it would be if Jesus had only associated Himself with persons of morally good character.
Contrast Jesus’ actions with the thoughts of these Pharisees, who looked with distaste about them at these sinners with whom they, true keepers of the Law, were forced to share a place and meal. Yet Jesus came to save such as these. The self-righteous Pharisees did not want to see mercy and salvation extended to others. They were ones chosen to receive mercy. Even church men fall into this false thinking. Going about with over-much regard of their own righteousness, they are unwilling to help a lowly life-long sinner find salvation. They do not want to associate with a publican and so defile their own name and piety. Spiritual pride is a dangerous, self-righteous attitude that comes in various degrees and forms. It blinds the mind and damages reason, and the result is grave errors on a wide scale.
Not the healthy, but the sick are in need of the physician’s care. Unfortunately, the self-justifying Pharisees (Luke 16:15) did not know they were sick ones! Like the self-absorbed Laodiceans of Rev 3:15-18, they could not see that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. And because they believed themselves healthy when actually they were blind, their sin remained (see John 9:41). This condition is rampant in churches today. So many think themselves the just ones, while condemning others for acting like sinners! Their faculties of judgment are turned upside down (Is 5:20). In present-day cases like this, where accusations are fierce and every act is criticized and doubted, a good rule to follow for those who are outside the situation is to judge first the attitudes of the parties and not get caught up into judging and second-guessing their “facts and actions.” Jesus said we would know false prophets by their fruits (Mat 7:20). Anybody can commit a wrong, but the good man is humble, open to correction, repentant. The proud and self-seeking man is antagonistic, vindictive and unwilling to accept criticism.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
This quote comes from Hosea 6:6, where mercy refers to kind acts and goodwill toward one’s fellowman, which is the Second Commandment of the Law (Mat 22:39). The scribes and Pharisees kept the sacrifices and rituals of the Law and omitted doing good to others (Mat 23:23). Although they were the religious elite and thought they possessed full understanding of the Old Testament, Jesus tells them, “Go learn what God meant when He desired mercy and not sacrifice.” In Micah 6:1-8, God restates the same wish for His people. Apparently the Pharisees never did learn what that Scripture meant, for later Jesus brought the same Old Testament verse to their attention again (Mat 12:7).
It seems to have escaped the Pharisees’ attention that here Jesus groups them with the publicans and sinners around Him! They were the sick ones, the unrighteous; and He had come to call such sinners to repentance. Most of the Pharisees however, were too proud and self-seeking to believe in Christ and for that reason the publicans and harlots went into the Kingdom before them (Mat 21:31-32). They were in desperate need of forgiveness and mercy, but did not know even know it. Jesus the Messiah had come for their spiritual healing, but they were refusing it (Dan 9:24; Mic 7:19).
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Earlier Jesus had criticized the Pharisees’ way of fasting as self-righteous and proud (see note Mat 6:16). While Jesus did not command His disciples to fast, He did fast during His ministry. And after His death the Apostles and the churches of Christ fasted often (Acts 13:2; 14:23; 2Cor 11:27). Here Jesus recognizes this unique time in the history of the world. The new Gospel Age was beginning and the Son of God had come to teach, demonstrate and establish it. Why fast and petition God when He was walking and talking in the flesh among them?
A wedding is a time for rejoicing and singing, not mourning and fasting. In this analogy Jesus is the Bridegroom and His disciples are the children of the bridechamber. These days were happy for them, troubles and necessities did not even come to mind. But after the wedding celebration, they must be parted from the Bridegroom. Then there would days of deep tumults, dangers, trials and even death. While the disciple surely caught the general meaning of Jesus’ answer, they could not fully understand it until after His ascension. Nevertheless, in that era there was much comfort in remembering His words.
The disciples of John the Baptist, who was probably still alive in prison, were the ones who asked Jesus this question. Maybe there was a subtle accusation behind their inquiry, “Why is our good teacher sitting in prison while You are eating and drinking as if nothing is wrong?” Jesus did not address that question here, but later He speaks of John the Baptist in some of the most glowing words of commendation to be found in the Scriptures (Mat 11:7-14). Yes, He understood that John was in prison for the sake of the Gospel, but isn’t that the fullest proof that John was a true prophet? (Mat 5:10-12).
16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
The next two parables (the patched cloth and the new wine) illustrate the coming change in the Kingdom: the Bridegroom would be taken away and the disciples would begin to fast and pray. The bottles were leather bags. New wine would expand the old leather bottles until they burst, so new wine required new bottles. Jesus did not come to patch up the old covenant, but to initiate an entirely new and better one. The new is so much better than the old that both covenant and people (wine and wineskins) are re-defined and ratified by Christ. The two should not, cannot be mixed, a task that the apostle Paul dedicated much of his life to effecting. Luke’s Gospel takes the imagery further, saying that most people like old wine better (Luke 5:39), meaning that the Jews (including the disciples) did not want to change. But eventually the new wine would become old, and the old would vanish away (Heb 9). Compare with Isaiah 65:8.
18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
Matthew gives a shortened account of these two miracles and begins with Jarius, a ruler in the Jewish synagogue (Mark 5:22), informing Jesus that his daughter had just died. The parallel accounts (Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:42-56) begin while the girl is still alive, although at the point of death. Then, while Jesus was walking to her house, new word came that she had died. Jesus however, continued on to her house. Understanding those details help to see how these two miracles of healing are intertwined.
It appears that this Jewish leader waited until the last minute before soliciting Jesus’ help. Perhaps he feared his fellow Jewish leaders, perhaps he too was a doubter. Whatever the case, at the last moment and in utter desperation, Jarius stooped to petition this Man of whom it was reported could heal at the spoken word.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
This woman had good reason to be quiet in the crowd! Such a blood disease made her perpetually unclean by Jewish law and prohibited her from all temple worship and probably even from being in public. What’s more, Jesus would have become unclean if He had healed her by touching. And so the woman did not ask for His help, but worked her way into position where she would be able to touch His garment. Maybe she thought that by touching only His clothes and not His body she would not make Him unclean.
The parallel accounts describe the woman’s fear of revealing herself when Jesus remarked that virtue had went out Him and asked who had touched Him (Mark 5:30-34; Luke 8:45-48). Mark says that the woman had spent all her money trying to be cured of this disease and that she had suffered many things of many physicians (Mark 5:26). See Clarke’s note on that passage for a shocking citation of a Jewish doctor’s remedy for this condition.
Thy faith hath made thee whole. Jesus would often accompany His healings with similar words. The statement draws attention to the important contrast between the Old Covenant’s works-based salvation and the New Covenant’s faith-based salvation. Jesus did not ask how good she had been or how well she had kept the Law before allowing her to be healed. Neither was she required to do something first to prove her faith, as in Naaman’s case. We do see however, belief in action (Faith) that resulted in her healing. She believed that Jesus was able to heal and she acted upon that belief by finding Him in the crowd and touching His garment.
We commonly hear that the reason healings do not occur more frequently today is because people do not have enough faith. Jesus never once indicated that the measure of one’s faith determined whether He would heal or not. He never once withheld healing because someone “did not have enough faith.” Instead, faith is an either/or condition. They either had faith, or they did not. Thus, Jesus avoided areas (like His family town) that did not believe on Him (Mat 13:58). That is another either/or faith situation.
Yes, faith is a necessary requisite for healing; no, it does not determine whether healing will take place. Jesus’ power and will effected the healing. The error of “faith healing” should be evident upon studying the way healing occurred in the NT. Jesus said that it only takes faith in the amount of a grain of mustard seed to move a mountain (Mat 17:20), yet who has seen one literal mountain moved at the command of a man? That’s because it is not faith alone which brings the answer to our prayers! Petitioning God rightly requires asking unselfishly, in His will and for the benefit of His Kingdom.
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Why would Jesus say the maid was not dead, but only sleeping? He made a similar statement concerning Lazarus (John 11:11-14). The attitude of the people changed from scorn to astonishment when the maid came forth walking and very much alive. To raise a person to life is a stunning miracle of power, but this straight-forward account makes it to be a simple act for Jesus Christ.
27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
This particular miracle is unique to the book of Matthew, though later healings of the blind occur in all the Gospels. See for examples Mat 20:30-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:38-43. By calling Him the Son of David, the blind men were confessing that He was the Messiah (John 7:42). It seems that they followed Jesus for some distance (until He was come into the house), making the scene a walking proclamation that Jesus was the promised Messiah. As Jews, these blind men were acquainted with the OT, so maybe they were thinking of verses like Is 35:5 while they called upon Jesus for healing. Certainly these miraculous acts of healing fulfilled prophesies of Messiah.
Notice that Jesus did not immediately heal the blind men. They continued to ask, continued to beg to be healed. Was Jesus testing their faith and persistence? Waiting to see if they would give up and walk away discouraged? Oh the reward that was theirs because of their perseverance! A lesson surely for Christians today.
30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Again Jesus gave command to remain quiet about the miracle He had performed (Mat 8:4). Why? I will give my idea in the next paragraph. First though, it is interesting that the disciples never asked Him what He meant, nor did any of the Gospel writers venture to explain why He would silence the testimony of others concerning Him. Mark does note that on account of His fame as a healer He could no more openly enter into the city (Mark 1:45), but we are still left to wonder: didn’t Jesus come for the express purpose of demonstrating to the world that He was the Messiah? Why then would He suppress the spread of these unbelievable miracles? And if He was a charlatan as the skeptic thinks, why would He try to lower His reputation as a miracle-healer? Indeed, for the scoffing intellectual, this little fact adds much weight to this truth: Jesus is the Son of God as recorded by the Gospels.
Nevertheless, Jesus must have had a reason for often warning people not to spread the news of their healing. I believe it was to prevent the people from forcibly making Him to be their Messianic king and leader. Their faulty idea of the Messiah had been developed and promulgated by the doctors of the Old Law, who taught that He would lead them politically and militarily back into world prominence like David of old. He would put all enemies to flight, subjugate the Assyrians, Egyptians, even the Romans, and the banner of Israel would wave at the head of all nations. This Messianic belief was so firmly held that even the Apostles could not imagine anything different. If Jesus said something that did not match with “their Messiah,” they either reprimanded Him or just refused to understand (Mat 16:21-22; Luke 9:43-45; Luke 18:31-34; John 12:16).
Even at the moment of His ascension the Apostles had not yet fully learned the mission and kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. There they asked Him, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Act 1:6). They would need several more years to understand all that He had come to do – die for the sins of the world and save the Gentiles with the Jews. Finally those OT prophesies came to life! Of course, Jesus knew all this from the beginning of His ministry, so instead of directly teaching them that their concept of the Messiah was completely wrong, He used it to His advantage and made sure that they could not implement it. This is plainly seen on the occasion that He quietly left the multitude because He perceived that they were about to make Him their king by force (John 6:15). All of this was outside God’s plan.
So by warning the blind men not to spread abroad the account of their healing, Jesus was avoiding the development of their false idea of the Messiah, for they were loudly proclaiming Him to be that very One (Mat 9:27). This is further seen in Mat 16:20, where Jesus forbade even His own disciples to spread the news that He was the Messiah. And according to Mat 12:15-21, this was prophesied to be an attribute of the Messiah – that He would not strive and cry in the streets, inciting the people and proclaiming that He was their savior; instead, He would be meek and gentle, not breaking even a bruised reed but sending forth judgment.
32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. 33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
The Greek word for devil is daimonion which should be translated “demon.” Compare with Satan being called the Devil in Mat 4:1, where the Greek word is diablos. The KJV consistently fails to make the distinction between the two Greek words, translating both as “devil.” It appears that the demon was preventing the man from speaking, for when the demon was driven out the mute man was able to speak. See the parallel account in Luke 11:14-16.
The Jewish nation has a long and storied history which includes quite a few miracles of healing and supernatural acts of deliverance. But what Jesus did was never so seen in Israel, for none of her famous leaders and prophets had done what Jesus was doing. See Is 35:5.
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
What jealousy and hardness of heart! These words of the Pharisees cannot be softened or put in a less wicked light. Rather than accept and confess that God was acting among them, they slandered Him in the most blatant, blasphemous way possible – saying that His power came from Satan. Jesus will refute their charge later in Mat 12:24-32.
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Jesus, the evangelist. These verses have moved the hearts of many missionaries, pressing them ever deeper into foreign lands and strange cultures. The labourers are few. The fields are already white unto harvest (John 4:35). Who will go for us? God in heaven is asking! Oh for more willing hearts like Isaiah, who responded, Here am I, send me (Is 6:8). Drawing on this picture, a songwriter describes the Father’s thoughts:
My house is full, but My field is empty,
Who will go and work for Me today?
It seems My children all want to stay around My table,
But no-one wants to work in My field.
The imagery of God’s people as sheep and their leaders as shepherds is a common one in Old Testament literature and several passages are direct prophecies of this period of history (Jer 23:1-6; Eze 34:1-31). See also John 10:1-18. Jesus was moved with compassion because the multitudes were fainting, scattered and leader-less. It is primarily a description of their spiritual condition. The scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be the religious leaders in Israel, but they were ravening hypocrites (Luke 11:39) who oppressed the flock instead of encouraging it. The multitudes were spiritually scattered, forced to seek for themselves what food might be found. The words of Jesus brought hope and comfort to their souls!
Verse 35 virtually repeats Mat 4:23. For 3-1/2 years Jesus travelled about the cities and villages of Israel, preaching and teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. In the next chapter, He sends the disciples out to do the same.