Bible Verse Synopsis 2-26-25
Matthew 9
The people brought Jesus a paralyzed man when he returned to Capernaum. He was pleased by their faith. Jesus forgave the paralyzed man’s sins on the spot. The sickness was caused by his sin! The scribes who were there murmured amongst themselves who this was not correct. Jesus through the Holy Spirit, given to Him by John the Baptist, heard them and their thoughts and openly corrected them. “For whether it is easier, to say, your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins….” - Verse 5 &6. In this verses Jesus proclaims His dirty as he is the Son of Man and has power to remove sin. None has ever declared that as part of their powers. Primarily because Jesus was foretold and is foretold to join us again. His power comes from grace, not from greed.
Matthew, before his calling discipleship, was a tax collector. Jesus was directed to him by the Holy Spirit and told Matthew directly. “Follow Me.” “And he arose and followed Him”. - Verse 9. What a sharp change in lifestyle. This is the power of the Holy Spirit. Can our lives change like this through God and full acceptance of His love and mercy? Of course it can! We must only receive God in His entirety. The Pharisees saw Jesus eating with the publicans (tax collectors) and bashed Him for it. Jesus proclaimed that those who are sick need a doctor, not those who are healed already. Meaning He (the doctor) came for everyone if only they follow Him.
Jesus did not fast with John’s followers as to fast is to heal something wrong. Yet Christ was on earth, there could have been no greater time. He represented the New Covenant to save the whole world from sin. To fast with Him alive (in physical form), was like patching a garment. All that could be seen was the patch. Or putting wine into an old wine skin. The skin would break. As Jesus was the New Covenant, you could not follow the old Covenant and also follow Him. Not that we should abandon the old covenant by the new covenant is the priority and should be treated as such. Until we accept Jesus as our savior there is little for us to do in regard to the Old Law.
Jarius proclaims his daughter is dying in her bed and addresses Jesus as Lord and Messiah! He had so much faith in Jesus that he knew He could save his daughter. But there was interruption on the way there. Another woman reached for the hem of Jesus’s garment, knowing that if she could touch Him she would be healed. Verse 21- “For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.” When she touched Him, Jesus turned and addressed her, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole.” - Verse 22. Does our Faith mirror the faith of Jarius and Veronica? Are we Desperate for Christ? Now these people were suffering and needed help and maybe they turned to Christ because they knew not what else to do. Nonetheless, they are example of faith in Christ. We are to extrapolate that faith and the desperation to faith to always. Knowing His is God and our Savior. Another example is the blind men who followed shortly after Jarius and his daughter. They had Faith in Jesus and His ability to heal them. Jesus in the healing says that they are healed by faith. Which of our afflictions can be healed by faith? ALL OF THEM!
The Gospel program was well underway as Christ entered temples and synagogues all around Israel. Preaching, teaching, and healing are the components of the Gospel program and Jesus did all of these things. He also recognized the people that followed Him had no other spiritual leadership. “.. as sheep having no shepherd.” - Verse 36. Jesus prayed that the Disciples be the laborers to harvest the souls of the many. For they would come to know the way of Christ. The way of Christ is the only way to the kingdom and is proclaimed as such throughout the Gospel.