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BIBLE STUDY MATTHEW 9:1-38 REVIEW: The main theme of chapter eight is showing Jesus’ authority over forces that oppress us. Matthew relates three stories of Jesus healing people of physical diseases (a leper, a centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law) – and then a group of three more stories about Jesus’ authority over natural and spiritual forces (stilling the storm on the sea, casting out demons, and the healing of a paralyzed man (the third story is actually Matthew 9:1-8)). Also, in between these two groups of three miracles is a section about the challenges of being a disciple of Jesus. Disciples must be willing to give up old ways of thinking, and be willing to follow Jesus immediately and totally. INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 9: As mentioned previously, Matthew’s gospel is carefully planned and organized in every detail. After portraying his authority as a teacher (a “new Moses”) in the “Sermon on the Mount” (chapters 5-7), Matthew then shows Jesus as having authority over physical and spiritual forces in chapter eight. Now in chapter nine we begin to see the first stirrings of opposition to Jesus from those whose own sense of “authority” is being threatened by his sayings and deeds. Beginning in this chapter, Jesus’ deeds of power are often criticized by the scribes and Pharisees. CHAPTER 9:1-8 “The Power to Forgive Sins” “And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk?’ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he then said to the paralytic – “Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.” Jesus’ “home town” is Capernaum (see Matthew 4:13). This story is from Mark 2:1-12. Many Jews in the first century believed that sickness was often a direct result of sin – so if a person’s sin was forgiven, then that person’s sickness would be cured. Therefore, pronouncing forgiveness would be an essential part of the healing. The fact is, spiritual and physical well-being is often closely related. Although we certainly should not make an absolute correlation between a certain sin being responsible for a particular sickness – there often IS a relationship. I (Pastor George) remember an experience I had when I was “On Call” as a hospital chaplain during my “Clinical Pastoral Education” (CPE) when I was in seminary. The Emergency Room staff asked me to see a patient who was in hysterics with a splitting headache – and her blood pressure was “sky high” – well over 200. In talking with her, it became clear that she was carrying a tremendous load of guilt because of something she had done. I prayed with her – and then, laying my hands on her, told her that in the name of Jesus her sin was forgiven. I will never forget what happened next – she looked at me with her eyes wide in wonder, and said that her headache was completely gone! The ER staff came in and took her blood pressure, and found that it was completely normal! Here was obviously a direct connection between this woman’s receiving forgiveness and receiving physical healing. Perhaps something like this was true for the paralyzed man – that he was literally “paralyzed by guilt”. Jesus’ forgiveness of his spiritual burden also healed him of his physical infirmity as well! According to the scribes, however, only God had the authority to forgive sins – and they saw Jesus’ doing this as being blasphemy because he was usurping an authority that belonged to God alone. But by then commanding the man to “Stand up, take your bed, and go to your home” Jesus demonstrated in an irrefutable way that he DID have authority to forgive! The key word in this section – as it has been throughout Jesus’ ministry to this point in Matthew’s gospel – is “AUTHORITY”. Just as earlier the crowds had been astonished at the authority of Jesus’ teaching at the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 7:28-29); the centurion had recognized Jesus’ authority to heal sickness (Mt. 8:8-9); the disciples were in awe of Jesus’ authority over the forces of nature after stilling the storm (Mt. 8:27); and Jesus had demonstrated his authority over demonic spirits (Mt. 8:31-32) – so now the crowds are filled with awe that Jesus had the authority to forgive sins! CHAPTER 9:9-17 "The Difference Between Jesus' Discipleship and Others" This section shows some of the differences between being a disciple of Jesus and the traditional view of discipleship in first century Judaism… CHAPTER 9:9 "Jesus' Calling of Matthew" "As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him." As mentioned previously (Mt. 4:18-22), Jesus' calling of Matthew was unusual because Rabbis generally did NOT recruit people to become disciples - would-be disciples were supposed to seek THEM out. Even more unusual, of course, were the type of persons Jesus called to discipleship - including even a tax collector!! Unlike today, tax collectors in Palestine were not employees of the government. The Romans or other rulers (in this case, probably Herod Antipas – the tetrarch of Galilee) would contract the authority to collect taxes to the highest bidder. They would pay a certain required sum to the government, but anything collected over and above could be kept as their “commission”. Obviously, this system often led to abuses – and even if a tax collector was not outrageously charging people and/or taking bribes, they were almost always suspected of doing so. Because of this, and because they were working with unpopular rulers, tax collectors were despised. According to William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible commentary, by Jewish law tax collectors were debarred from the synagogue; were included with things and beast unclean; was forbidden to be a witness in any case; and that “robbers, murderers, and tax-gatherers” were classed together. Yet Jesus called even someone in this universally hated profession to be one of his disciples! NOTE: In Mark and Luke, the tax collector is called Levi (son of Alphaeus) (Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27-28) rather than Matthew. Perhaps Levi had two names. Other commentators have speculated that “Matthew” is a word play upon the Greek word for “disciple” (“mathetes”). CHAPTER 9:10-13 “Jesus Associates With Sinners” “And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. God and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” This is another “controversy story”. Jewish rabbis often taught that people should welcome repentant sinners back into fellowship, but Jesus apparently sought out persons shunned by the religious establishment of his day. In other words, Jesus did not tell people that they had to be “good enough” before he would eat and drink with them – but rather HE made the “first move”! “Sinners” could mean persons who were notorious for their immoral activities (thieves, prostitutes, drunkards, etc.), but could also mean those who by their professions (such as tax collectors, peasant farmers, etc.) could not be expected to live a full Jewish religious life. Whatever, a central concept of “Phariseeism” was that religious people should keep themselves separated from others not like them. Unfortunately, this understanding still seems to be very prevalent among many Christians even today! Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 – the word “sacrifice” means observing various religious rituals. This is a central and continuing controversy that Jesus had with the Pharisees – that people rather than rituals were what was important about religion. So should it be for US as his disciples today! CHAPTER 9:14-15 “Not Fasting – Another Controversy” “Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” As I (Pastor George) have mentioned previously in chapter 3, Matthew and all the gospel writers place John’s ministry in a subordinate role to Jesus’ ministry. Here is another example. John, for all his greatness, did not seem to grasp the JOY that Jesus came to proclaim and manifest. As also mentioned previously in chapter 6, fasting was a major part of Jewish piety. Private fasting was often done twice a week by Pharisees and other “religious” people of Jesus’ day. Jesus, however, did NOT instruct his disciples to adopt this regimen. His was a ministry of JOY rather than asceticism. Why the saying about fasting when the bridegroom is taken away? Daniel J. Harrington in his commentary notes that after Jesus’ death many early Christians adopted this pattern of private fasting – and this may well have included many in Matthew’s community of Jewish Christians. Therefore this statement represents a sort of “compromise” – explaining why Jesus had a controversy with the Pharisees on this issue, but also showing that it apparently was acceptable for Jewish Christians to observe the practice for themselves. CHAPTER 9:16-17 “The Old and the New” “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” On the surface, this saying shows that Jesus’ teaching is entirely new and that it does not fit in with the traditional teaching of the Pharisees and other Jewish groups. Matthew, however, adds a phrase that neither Mark nor Luke has in their gospels: “…and so both are preserved.” As mentioned throughout this study, the people of Matthew’s community were Jewish Christians – and they saw Jesus as coming to fulfill rather than abolish the Law. They considered themselves to be good Jews and continued to practice Jewish rituals. Matthew does not want to lose the old traditions. Indeed, Matthew seems to understand that the way to preserve JUDAISM (the old) at its best is to emphasize Jesus’ “new” teaching that mercy (rather than “sacrifice”) should be the central focus of religion. -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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