Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 9 Mean?

In chapter 9, Matthew continues to tell the stories of Jesus healing and casting out demons and even bringing the dead to life. Each story demonstrates that He is truly the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes that faith in Him is key to the healing experienced by many.

The friends of a paralyzed man bring him to Jesus to be healed. This account parallels the description given in the gospel of Mark (Mark 2:1–12). Jesus strangely begins by telling the man his sins are forgiven. To themselves, some scribes in the room accuse Jesus of blasphemy for presuming to do what only God can do: forgive sins. Jesus demonstrates that He has the authority of God to forgive sins by showing that He has the authority to heal the man. This brings a certain amount of fear, but the crowd also recognizes the work of God and offers appropriate praise (Matthew 9:1–8).

Jesus calls another of the twelve disciples when He sees Matthew sitting in a booth working as a tax collector. Men like Matthew worked for the occupying Roman government, taking money from their fellow Israelites. Many were corrupt, and all were hated. Tax collectors were seen as immoral traitors by the common people of Israel. Christ tells Matthew to follow Him. Matthew leaves behind his booth and becomes a disciple of Jesus. Soon, Jesus and the other disciples are having dinner at Matthew’s house with Matthew’s friends: tax collectors and other “sinners” (Matthew 9:9– 10).

The Pharisees ask Jesus’ disciples why He eats with such people. In their minds, righteous people should not associate, in any way, with those who are immoral. Jesus gives a symbolic response, using the idea of doctors and sick people. In part, His point is that “sinners” are the very people to whom God’s people ought to be ministering, just as the sick are those to whom a doctor is drawn. Christ is also pointing out that those who don’t think they’re sick—such as the self-deluded Pharisees—are not His mission, either. Jesus orders His critics to go learn what it means in Scripture when God says that He desires mercy and not sacrifice, quoting from the book of Hosea (Matthew 9:11–13).

The disciples of John the Baptist then ask why Jesus’ disciples do not fast as they and the Pharisees do. This is not necessarily a hostile question. Jesus replies with three illustrations. First, why would the wedding guests mourn when the bridegroom is with them? They will fast when the bridegroom is taken away. Next, Jesus says that you don’t put a new patch on an old garment or new wine in old wineskins. The old ways of thinking and acting—as Israel had become accustomed—were not meant to be crammed together with Christ’s newer, better understanding (Matthew 9:14–17).

While this conversation is going on, a man comes to see Jesus, setting off a string of four amazing healing miracles in a row. This man is a ruler in the synagogue whose daughter has just died. Parallel accounts are found in Mark chapter 5 and Luke chapter 8, including additional details. The man says that if Jesus will come and lay His hand on the girl, she will live. While Jesus and the disciples are on their way to the man’s house, a woman who has suffered for 12 years with a discharge of blood touches the edge of Jesus’ cloak and is instantly healed. Jesus tells her that her faith has made her well (Matthew 9:18–22).

Jesus and the company finally come to the house of the synagogue ruler whose daughter has died. Professional mourners have already arrived to play instruments and wail. They laugh, though, when Jesus tells them to go away because the girl is not dead, only sleeping. Jesus then takes the girl’s hand, and she stands up, alive (Matthew 9:23–26).

As Jesus makes His way back from that incredible moment, two blind men in the crowd begin to cry out, expressing faith in Jesus’ healing ability as well as their view that He is the Messiah. When Jesus reaches the house, they come inside, and He heals them—after asking if they believe that He can. Despite Jesus’ instructions, the men eagerly tell many people about what has happened (Matthew 9:27–31).

As the blind men are leaving, a demon-oppressed man is brought before Jesus. The demon has made the man unable to speak. Jesus casts the demon out, and the man begins to talk. The crowd around Jesus once again marvels. The Pharisees, though, decide that Jesus only casts out demons by the power of Satan. Their rejection of Christ is so powerful that even the most obvious signs are lost on them (Matthew 9:32–34).

Finally, Jesus looks out over the growing crowds of people who have come to see Him. He is moved with compassion for them. Matthew notes that the people are like lost sheep; this echoes comments Jesus makes elsewhere about being a “Good Shepherd,” in comparison to the failed religious leaders who were misguiding Israel (John 10:11–13). Jesus instructs His followers to pray earnestly that the Lord will send laborers out to gather in the plentiful harvest (Matthew 9:35–38).

Chapter Context
Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

Jesus had left Capernaum with His disciples, in part, to escape the crowds. He needed rest. They had taken the boat across the Sea of Galilee to a southeastern shore, where Jesus had cast demons from two men into a large herd of pigs. Although the men were freed from the demons, the people of that place begged Him to leave (Matthew 8:28–34).

So, Jesus and His disciples crossed back over the lake to arrive back at Jesus’ adopted hometown of Capernaum (Matthew 4:13) once more.

Comparing Matthew’s gospel to Mark and John reveals that Matthew tends to group stories by topic rather than always putting them in chronological order. Some of the events described in this chapter likely took place earlier in Jesus’ life and ministry than the previous ones.

Verse 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”

Here, again, Jesus reveals how deeply He cares about the trusting belief of those who come to Him for help. He is impressed by the faith of the people who brought their paralyzed friend. We know from Mark (Mark 2:1–12) and Luke (Luke 5:17–26) that these friends went to extremes to get the man in front of Jesus. The house Jesus was in was packed with people listening to Him teach. The friends climbed up on the house, removed some of the roof, and lowered their friend, still on his bed, down through the hole to put him in front of Jesus (Mark 2:4).

Jesus, responding to their faith, tells the man to “take heart.” This is from the Greek root term tharseō, the same word used when Jesus reassured the disciples as He walked on water (Mark 6:50) and when encouraging believers to endure under persecution (John 16:33). The reason for this remark is probably related to the next thing Jesus mentions: the man’s sins.

This is unusual among all the reports of Jesus’ healings. Instead of healing the man immediately, Jesus first addresses his sin. That suggests that in this case, the man’s physical condition was connected to his personal sinful choices. Christ’s suggestion that the man “take heart” might have been a way of addressing his shame or embarrassment. Of course, sin is not the immediate cause of every injury or illness (John 9:1–3). This time, though, Jesus recognized the man’s sin as a more urgent need than his paralysis.

As expected, this statement is met with controversy from the local religious leaders.

Verse 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

This is Matthew’s first mention of the conflict between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders—this will become a central focus of Jesus’ ministry moving forward. Jesus has told a paralyzed man brought to Him for healing that his sins are forgiven. This may show that his unique condition was connected in some way to his sinful choices (Matthew 9:1–2).

Some scribes were present in the house, listening to Jesus’ teaching. Scribes were often described as teachers of the law, holding some authority over the religious lives of everyday Jewish people. They heard Jesus say to the man that his sins were forgiven. To each other, but out of the hearing of Jesus, they react to this in anger, suggesting Jesus was blaspheming. Mark quotes them as saying, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).

These religious leaders realized that in declaring a man’s sin forgiven, Jesus was making a statement about who He was. Since all sin is committed against God (Psalm 51:4) and since only God can forgive sin (Isaiah 43:25), Jesus was speaking in the place of God.

Of course, Jesus was the Son of God, so His statement is clearly not blasphemy. Some scholars debate whether claiming to forgive sins would qualify as blasphemy even if the person was not Jesus since blasphemy generally has to do with the name of God. Still, Jesus as the Son of God was fully qualified to forgive any sins He chose to.

Were these teachers of the law wrong to be offended at Jesus’ statement? If another mere mortal had said such a thing, they may have been exactly right. Instead, their thoughts about Jesus betray the fact that they have failed to recognize the Son of God. Jesus will describe them as thinking evil in their hearts.

Christ’s comment here is not careless—He is making a very specific point. In the upcoming verses, Jesus will point out that it’s easier to claim one has the power to forgive sins than the power to physically heal; the second is something which can be tested (Matthew 9:4–7).

Verse 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Jesus has responded to a paralyzed man’s arrival by telling him his sins have been forgiven (Matthew 9:2). Some scribes—teachers of the law—accused Him between themselves of blasphemy. Jesus now responds to them. Though what they said wasn’t audible to Jesus, He knows exactly what they’re thinking. He says, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Mark and Luke phrase the question as, “Why do you question in your hearts?”

It’s important to realize that these men are not being condemned for simple skepticism. Later encounters will show their opposition to Jesus is intentional, hardened, and unfair (John 5:39–40). This is why their sin is described as that of “unbelief.” Despite the displays of power and authority they have seen Him demonstrate, they have prejudiced themselves out of pride. They have failed to recognize the truth of His identity in His authoritative teaching. Ignoring the signs and evidence, they prefer to believe Jesus is a mere mortal under their authority. He will show them once more that He is not.

Part of Jesus’ strategy here is to begin with a claim that’s “easier” to make, since it’s hard to test: the authority to forgive sins. Once His critics respond, Jesus will prove His power by making and fulfilling a claim which is impossible to falsify (Matthew 9:5–7).

Verse 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

Jesus has confronted some scribes, religious leaders and teachers of the law, who heard Him tell a paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven (Matthew 9:2). They accused Jesus, quietly and to each other, of blasphemy for claiming to do something only God could do. Jesus has accused them, aloud and in front of everyone, of thinking evil in their hearts for questioning His identity (Matthew 9:3–4).

Now He asks the scribes if it is easier to say, “your sins are forgiven,” or “rise and walk”? By this, Jesus is making two points. First, it’s “easier” to claim to have forgiven someone’s sins, since there’s no way to physically test such a claim. Claiming the power to instantly heal a paralyzed man, on the other hand, is more “difficult,” as it invites proof. His purpose is to demonstrate to these unbelieving religious leaders that the power He has been showing them is the evidence that He is truly the Messiah and Son of God. That status includes the authority to forgive sins on earth (Matthew 9:6–7).

Verse 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he then said to the paralytic — “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Jesus is challenging a group of unbelieving scribes. They have accused Him of blasphemy for telling a paralyzed man his sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2–4). He has asked which is easier, forgiving sins or healing the man. By this, Jesus implies that it’s not as easy to claim authority over illness and disease, since that can be immediately tested. If He can “prove” something more difficult, it lends credibility to His claims about sin.

Jesus says boldly and explicitly that He will do both: declare forgiveness of sin and healing of disease. Proving His power over nature supports His claims to be the “Son of Man,” who also has the authority to offer God’s forgiveness. Jesus often refers to Himself as the Son of Man, a name from Daniel’s revelation that pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah (Daniel 7:13). The name carries with it the idea of one who is the ultimate of the sons of men, as well as the servant who is king.

Jesus follows through by turning to the paralyzed man who had to be lowered through the roof of the house on a bed in order to see Jesus (Mark 2:4). Jesus tells him simply, “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Verse 7 And he rose and went home.

The paralyzed man at the heart of this story is never quoted in any of the gospels as having said a single word. His friends decide to take him to Jesus, who has been healing other people with every kind of disease. Since he is paralyzed, they had to carry him on his bed. When they reached the place, the house was too crowded to enter, so they climbed up on the roof and lowered their friend, still on his bed, through a hole they made (Mark 2:4).

Jesus, impressed by their faith, has told the man his sins are forgiven. This may have meant that the man’s condition was related to some sin he has committed. Perhaps that’s the sin Jesus was forgiving (Matthew 9:1–2).

The moment, though, was interrupted by an exchange between Jesus and some of the religious leaders about whether He had authority to forgiven sins on earth. To prove that He did, Jesus turned to the man and told him to get up, take his bed, and go home. Now the man does exactly that without ever saying a word, his own healing a powerful statement on the truth that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus’ intent here is to prove that His miraculous healing powers are signs His teachings are true (John 12:37; 20:30–31). It’s one thing to say He is “only” able to forgive sins—such a thing is hard to prove on earth. To claim divine healing power, and immediately prove it, is much more “difficult,” and offers a clear indication that He’s telling the truth.

Verse 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

This is the third time Matthew describes the reaction to one of Jesus’ miracles as fear. First the disciples marveled in fear when Jesus calmed a savage storm on the Sea of Galilee with a single rebuke (Matthew 8:23–27). Then the Gentiles who lived near the demon-possessed men freed by Jesus were afraid after He sent the demons into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28–34). Now the crowds are afraid after seeing Jesus heal a paralyzed man after stating that He was proving His authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:2–7).

There are interesting differences in each of these incidents, regarding what those who were afraid chose to do next. The disciples did not leave, but they left open the question of who Jesus was (Matthew 8:27). The Gentiles begged Jesus to just leave them alone (Matthew 8:34).

The crowd who has witnessed this healing, however, made the choice to give glory to God in response to Jesus’ display of power. Specifically, they glorified the God who had given such authority to men. Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly how many—if any—fully understood that Jesus had this authority as the Son of God Himself. Still, the impulse to glorify God was the best reaction to seeing a fearful miracle up close and in person.

Verse 9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Tax collectors are rarely beloved, in any country, or any era of history. Jewish tax collectors in the time of Christ worked for the occupying Roman government, so they were especially hated in Israel. If that were not enough, tax collectors commonly took more than was required by the Romans in order to pay themselves. This meant tax collectors were frequently much wealthier than most Jewish citizens, who were just barely getting by day by day. The typical stereotype of a tax collector, in that time, was that of a greedy, sinful, traitorous sinner.

Matthew, the man referenced in this verse, is writing this book. He was a tax collector. He does not mention himself until well after several of the other disciples have been introduced. His writing is often arranged by topic, not time, so it’s likely he was called by Christ before some of the other stories he’s told so far in this gospel. Some scholars believe he was present at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), and possibly recording it word-for-word.

When Matthew does introduce himself, it is in the most low-key way possible. He describes Jesus walking by his tax booth and saying, simply, “Follow me.” Matthew reports that he rose and followed Jesus. This may have taken place near Capernaum. Scholars suggest a tax booth may have been set up on the border there between two territories for the purpose of handling customs and excise taxes.

Matthew is sometimes called Levi in the books of Mark and Luke. Luke uses that name in describing this same moment, adding the detail that Levi left everything behind (Luke 5:27–28). Matthew and Mark both still list him as Matthew in various lists of disciples. It’s unclear why Matthew/Levi was called by both names. One theory is that Matthew went by the name Levi, or was simply of the tribe of Levi, and was re-named by Jesus as Matthew upon his call.

Verse 10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.

For the first time in this writing, Matthew has introduced himself (Matthew 9:9). He described the moment when Jesus said to him, “Follow me” while Matthew was sitting at his tax collector’s booth. Jewish tax collectors were among the most despised people in Israel. They collected taxes for the oppressive, Gentile, occupying Romans and often took money for themselves while they were doing it. Such men were thought of as immoral traitors by the Jewish people.

After being officially added to Jesus’ group of disciples, Matthew hosted Jesus and the disciples for dinner at his house, along with his other friends. Describing the same event, both Mark (Mark 2:15–17) and Luke (Luke 5:29–32) make clear this was Matthew’s house. They also describe Matthew’s friends as being tax collectors and “sinners.” All were reclining together with Jesus and the other disciples around Matthew’s table.

“Sinners,” as used in this context, is a broad term describing people who broke the moral codes of Jewish society. This would have included tax collectors, harlots, and others. The Pharisees will show in the following verse that they did not approve of Jesus’ dining companions.

Verse 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Eating together, reclined around a low table in someone’s home, was a more close and intimate experience in Jesus’ day than it is in modern times. Sharing meals, often summarized as “breaking bread,” implied a level of trust and acceptance.

The Jewish religious leaders known as the Pharisees were very careful about who they shared a meal with, for that reason. They hoped to avoid even the appearance of associating with disreputable people. The law itself did not forbid this, but they had established rules for themselves beyond the law to protect their reputations as righteous men. Discretion about a person’s companions is not unwise, in and of itself (1 Corinthians 15:33; Psalm 1:1). However, the Pharisees were brutally arrogant, and their rules of conduct came to carry nearly the weight of the law itself.

Jesus simply ignored rules and standards that went beyond the requirements of the law. He is doing so again in this passage: sharing a meal in the home of a tax collector. Also present are His disciples and more tax collectors and “sinners.” In this context, “sinners” are those people who broke religious rules and even the law itself (Matthew 9:9–10). These are people considered dirty, flawed, and even unclean by their culture.

The Pharisees didn’t get it. Jesus was a popular rabbi who spoke passionately about God and righteousness. In their eyes, they wonder why He’s being foolish about those with whom He is seen sharing meal. Why would He sully His reputation by associating with these people? That’s what they asked Jesus’ disciples. Christ’s answer (Matthew 9:12–13) reveals both His mission and the true motives of His critics’ hearts.

Verse 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Jesus has called Matthew to follow Him as one of His core twelve disciples (Matthew 9:9). Matthew was a tax collector, one of the most despised people in Israel. Tax collectors were Jewish men who took money from other Israelites and gave most of it to the occupying Romans. The remainder they could keep, as allowed by Roman order, as payment for their services. Most Jewish people saw tax collectors as greedy traitors. It would have been scandalous, in that culture, for a righteous man like Jesus to invite a tax collector to become His disciple.

Worse, Matthew then hosted a dinner party at his home with his friends (Matthew 9:10). These, of course, were other tax collectors and “sinners.” As used in these passages, “sinners” are those people unwelcome in religious society because they did not follow the rules of the Pharisees or, in some cases, the law itself. That’s not to say they were innocent of sin—their actions were certainly immoral—but these people were overtly identified by their sins in that culture.

The Pharisees make baffled accusations, asking Jesus’ disciples why He eats with these people, something they would never do (Matthew 9:11). Now Jesus answers them in a way that both explains His actions and exposes the Pharisees.

Healthy people don’t need a doctor, Jesus says. Sick people do. Jesus was not declaring the Pharisees to be healthy, but pointing out that they saw themselves that way. Jesus told them He was there to help people who knew they were sick. Spiritually speaking, they understood they needed help. They were open to the truth: that they needed saving.

Two important applications emerge from this statement. First, the purpose of good works and evangelism is to reach the lost (Matthew 5:11–16). Christians are not called on to barricade themselves away from anyone they see as a “sinner.” Of course, it’s important to guard friendships and associations (Psalm 1:1; 1 Corinthians 15:33). However, believers cannot live out the love of Christ while avoiding all possible contact with lost people (1 Corinthians 5:9–10). Self-labelled Christians, or churches, who turn their noses up at sinners are like doctors, or hospitals, who refuse to associate with sick people.

Second, Jesus was not condoning the wrong choices of the people He spent time with. Showing love and kindness does not require—and does not imply—endorsing everything the other person does or believes. Christ was introducing them to Himself as the only way to be forgiven and redeemed. He was showing them the true face of God, full of love and compassion for them.

Verse 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A recent question from the Pharisees was more of an accusation: why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and “sinners?” Why would a supposedly-righteous man be seen in the company of immoral people (Matthew 9:10–11). The Pharisees themselves would never share a meal with people who openly break God’s law. Nor would they lower themselves to be seen with anyone who didn’t follow their own rules of conduct.

Jesus has quipped that healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. His point is twofold: that to properly love and care for others, we need to minister to those who are caught in sin (Matthew 5:44; 2 Corinthians 4:3), and that arguing otherwise is as ridiculous as a doctor who refuses to go near sick people.

Now Christ tells His critics to examine Hosea 6:6, where God says “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” As He typically did, Jesus quotes the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint. The original Hebrew of this verse uses the term he’sed, an important expression of faithful, deep, graciousness. The ESV, for instance, translates the term in Hosea 6:6 as “steadfast love.” The Pharisees were not in the mercy business. Their strategy for motivating the people of Israel to live right before God was to set the standard very high and then live up to it themselves. From that position, they looked down in judgment on those who could not or would not join them in their pious lifestyles (Matthew 23:2–7). Jesus’ willingness to spend time with tax collectors and harlots and other disreputable people as if those people were “okay” was maddening to them.

Jesus tells the Pharisees that He did not come to call the righteous. He came to call sinners. The Pharisees assumed themselves to be righteous already. They did not think they needed saving. Jesus came to call those who understood themselves to be sinful and in need of mercy, forgiveness, a Savior (Matthew 7:6). When given a glimpse of the loving face of God in Jesus, seeking people flocked to Him (2 Corinthians 4:6). They still do.

Context Summary
Matthew 9:9–13 begins with Jesus calling Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him as His disciple. Soon, Jesus and His disciples are having dinner in Matthew’s home with many tax collectors and others labelled as “sinners.” In answer to a question from the Pharisees about why Jesus would eat with these people, He responds that the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. He tells the Pharisees to go learn the meaning of the Scripture in which God says that He desires mercy, not sacrifice. Jesus declares that He has come to call sinners, not the righteous.

Verse 14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Pharisees have challenged Jesus’ disciples about His behavior of eating with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:9–12). Now some of John the Baptist’s disciples ask Jesus a question about His own followers. Luke’s gospel puts this question to Jesus from the Pharisees (Luke 5:33–39), while Mark says that both the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were asking (Mark 2:18–22). It’s possible some from both groups were there together questioning Jesus.

Many rabbis—Jewish teachers—had disciples. In this context, this refers to dedicated, selected students. It was common for a teacher to accept a few disciples at a time to live with and study under him. They would serve their master while learning through a kind of apprenticeship. John the Baptist was now in prison (Matthew 4:12), but some of his disciples remained loyal to him and, perhaps, to his restrictive lifestyle (Matthew 3:4). Jesus’ disciple Andrew had been one of John the Baptist’s disciples before Jesus called him (John 1:40). Many commentators suggest the apostle John had been the Baptist’s disciple, as well.

John the Baptist’s mission was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. That mission was mostly accomplished when Jesus launched into his public ministry and gained His own enormous following (John 3:25–30). Still, some of the Baptist’s disciples wanted to carry on his work. Now they wanted to know why Jesus’ disciples did not follow as strict of a lifestyle as they did. Specifically, why did they not participate in the fasts?

Fasting, abstaining from food for a set period, was required by the law of Moses only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26–32). Over time, the Pharisees and other religious leaders had added many more days of fasting. Fasting was intended to be an act of worship before God, a time set aside for honoring Him, bringing special requests, or focusing on prayer. Pharisees are said to have fasted two days each week. Perhaps John the Baptist’s disciples were following the same schedule.

Jesus explains in the following verses why His disciples did not fast, at least not yet.

Verse 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Jesus is answering a question from the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. They want to know why His disciples do not fast, whereas these other groups do (Matthew 9:14). The law of Moses required fasting only once a year (Leviticus 23:26–32), but scholars believe the Pharisees fasted twice a week. It was one of many outward signs of their assumed righteousness. John the Baptist’s disciples may have been following his example of a very restrictive lifestyle, though John himself was currently in prison (Matthew 4:12).

Jesus’ answers to direct questions often require some thought in order to understand. Rather than answering shallowly, or accepting assumptions, Christ often replied to the deeper issues at hand. In response to this question (Matthew 9:14), Jesus asks a question of His own: would you expect wedding guests to mourn while they’re with the groom? He explains that His disciples will fast, eventually, when the bridegroom is taken away.

Looking back after Jesus had been fully revealed as the Messiah and the Son of God, after His death and resurrection and return to heaven, this illustration comes into clear focus.

Matthew has already quoted Jesus referring to the great banquet in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:12). This banquet is sometimes called the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). This feast represents the wedding of the bridegroom, Jesus, to His beloved church, all those who have come to Him by faith. It is not yet time for that wedding to take place, but the bridegroom, Jesus, was on earth making preparations. Why would his friends fast while the bridegroom is with them?

In the Old Testament, God Himself is described as the bridegroom (Isaiah 54:5–6; Hosea 2:16–20). The Pharisees may have caught this connection to Jesus’ claim and resented the implications. Perhaps John the Baptist’s disciples were more open to it since John Himself had used this language to describe his relationship with the Messiah: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete” (John 3:29).

John the Baptist clearly understood Jesus to be the bridegroom and himself the bridegroom’s friend, or what western culture would call the “best man. “

Verse 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.

Jesus is answering a question from the disciples of John the Baptist, along with the Pharisees. They have asked why His disciples do not participate in regular fasting as they do (Matthew 9:14). Jesus is answering with three illustrations. First, He referred to wedding guests celebrating the presence of the groom (Matthew 9:15). This verse begins the second example.

Christ notes that nobody who was patching a torn garment would ever use a piece of unshrunk cloth. Natural fibers tend to shrink over time, especially after repeated washing and drying. Stitching brand new fibers over a hole in older cloth will eventually make the hole worse: the patch will shrink and pull away from the hole.

Whether His questioners understood it or not in the moment, Jesus is insisting that He is introducing something new. Judaism, especially as practiced by the Pharisees, is the “old cloth.” As the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus had not come to fit into the old way of doing things under the Law. He had come to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17), by offering the grace of God. This grace is available to all who come to the Father through faith in Christ’s death for their sin on the cross (John 3:16–18).

Even Jesus’ own disciples did not yet fully understand. Nevertheless, the arrival of the king, the Messiah, on earth meant that the kingdom was near. Life in the kingdom would not be the same as it had been before the king arrived, even in its religious practices and observations.

Verse 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, 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.”

Jesus is presenting three illustrations to answer one question: Why don’t your disciples fast, as did the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist (Matthew 9:14)? This is Jesus’ third of three illustrations in response (Matthew 9:15–16). Christ describes why His arrival on earth has changed how many things will be practiced and understood by the people of God.

Wineskins in this era were created from the skins of animals. When a wineskin was first cleaned and tanned and made ready for use, it was flexible and stretchy. It could expand as the liquid inside of it fermented and gave off gases during the transformation into wine. An old wine skin, though, had lost its flexibility. It became brittle. Being closed off for another fermentation process would cause that skin to split as pressure built, spilling the wine and destroying the skin.

Jesus is saying His arrival on earth as the Messiah, the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15), has begun the new era of the kingdom of heaven. The old ways of Judaism are the old wineskin. The ways of the kingdom will not fit into those old religious practices and observances. New ways are coming that will be practiced by those, Jew and Gentile alike, who come to God through faith in Jesus.

In other words, Jesus was not going to fit the ways of His kingdom into the ways of Judaism to make some kind of hybrid religion. He was starting something new. Implied in this is that Jesus’ disciples would not fast while He was with them preparing this new way of coming to the Father through faith in Him. As He said in verse 15, however, they would fast for a time, after He was taken away.

Context Summary
Matthew 9:14–17 begins with a question from the disciples of John the Baptist. They want to know why Jesus’ disciples do not fast as they and the Pharisees do. Jesus asks if the wedding guests should mourn while the bridegroom is with them. They will fast when the bridegroom is taken away. Then Jesus gives two more illustrations: Nobody would put a patch of new cloth on an old garment or new wine in an old wineskin.

Verse 18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention the incident recorded in this passage. Matthew’s habit is to leave out some details and not necessarily group stories in chronological order. Instead, he often arranges similar stories in blocks, to fit particular topics or themes.

The ruler who knelt before Jesus to beg for his daughter’s healing was a man named Jairus, a ruler of the Jewish synagogue (Mark 5:22). Matthew also shows the man telling Jesus that his daughter is already dead. Luke, though, describes the man’s only daughter, about 12, as “dying” (Luke 8:42). By the time Jesus gets to Jairus’s house, the girl is dead. Most likely, messengers arrived during the exchange to let him know the sad news.

Like the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant (Matthew 8:5–13), this synagogue ruler also humbles himself and shows faith in Jesus’ power to heal. Unlike most of the other Jewish religious leaders we see, Jairus does not want to judge or accuse Jesus. He simply believes in Jesus’ power to heal and wants his daughter to live.

There is a stark difference between Jairus and the centurion, however. The centurion understood that Jesus could heal with a word without having to be near the sick person. Jairus, so it seems, is convinced Jesus will need to put His hand on the girl for her to be made well.

Verse 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

In this instance, Jesus does not hesitate to respond to a request for physical healing. His mission on earth included healing God’s people and freeing them from demon possession. The purpose of this is to demonstrate truth: Matthew showed previously that these miracles fulfilled prophesy, providing even more evidence that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 8:17).

This event likely takes place in Capernaum, Jesus’ adopted hometown (Matthew 4:13). This is probably where Jairus served as an authority in the Jewish synagogue. We know from Luke that Jairus’s only daughter is about 12 years old (Luke 8:41–42). Jairus kneels before Jesus to ask for help. Matthew quotes him as saying the girl has “just died,” while Mark and Luke understand him to have said that she is dying. Most likely, messengers arrived to give the man sad news as he was speaking to Jesus.

Jesus gets up, probably from reclining around the dinner table, and heads toward Jairus’s house with His disciples. They will experience at least one brief delay, however.

Verse 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,

Jesus and His disciples are following a man named Jairus to his house, where his only daughter, about 12 years old, lies dead (Luke 8:40–42; Matthew 9:18). Jairus has asked Jesus to come and place His hand on the girl so that she will live.

Something unexpected happens on the way. A woman fights her way through the crowd packed around Jesus and manages to touch the fringe of His garment. The word for “fringe” may mean simply the edge of Jesus’ garment or one the tassels that would have dangled from the corners of a Jewish man’s cloak (Numbers 15:37–41). This is not a full-handed grab, but only a light contact.

Matthew describes this woman as having suffered from a discharge of blood for 12 years. As usual, Mark provides a bit more detail. The woman “had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Scholars suggest that this discharge was prolonged menstrual bleeding due to something such as cysts. This would have made her situation doubly difficult, making her ceremonially unclean under the law and required to keep her distance from others in the community (Leviticus 15:25–33).

The following verses reveal the woman’s motives and Jesus’ reaction to her desperate act of faith.

Verse 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

A man named Jairus is leading Jesus and His disciples to help Jairus’s daughter, who has died. They are packed in on every side by a “great crowd” (Mark 5:24). Suddenly, a woman touches Jesus’ cloak—not grabbing or twisting, but merely making contact (Matthew 9:20). She has suffered from a discharge of blood for 12 years. This was likely an abnormal menstrual discharge, meaning not only is the woman anemic and weak, but has also been ceremonially unclean within the Jewish community for a dozen years.

This verse explains why she pushed through the crowd to touch Jesus’ garment, risking being caught in violation of keeping her distance from others, as the law required. She believes. She has heard of Jesus’ healings and His power and is convinced that she will be healed by just touching His cloak. She doesn’t dare to be so forward as to come to Him directly and kneel before Him and make the request. As an unclean woman, this would likely have been quite inappropriate. Instead, she has devised a way for Him to heal her, she likely hopes, without ever even being noticed.

Jesus, of course, notices.

Verse 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

A woman has touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak or, perhaps, the tassels dangling from the corners of it. For 12 years, this woman has suffered with a disease that caused an ongoing “discharge of blood” that may have been menstrual in nature. She had exhausted her resources trying to get help from doctors, but the symptoms only got worse. When she heard about Jesus miraculously healing so many people, she planned to touch His garment. She believed that would heal her (Matthew 9:20–21).

Matthew now reports that even in the crush of bodies around Him, Jesus noticed when this woman touched His cloak. He turns and calls her daughter, telling her to “take heart,” using the same Greek term spoken to the paralyzed man (Matthew 9:2), as well as to the disciples when He encouraged them in the face of persecution (John 16:33). Jesus credits her faith as the trigger for her healing: In an instant, she was healed.

Once again, Matthew condenses the story while Mark and Luke add details. Jesus asks who touched Him. Peter is confused by the question and points out that Jesus is surrounded by people who are pushing in on Him. Who isn’t touching Him? Jesus clarifies His question, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46).

The woman realizes that she will be found out and decides to come forward, trembling. She falls down before Jesus and describes what she has done and why. She finishes by saying that she has been healed (Luke 8:47).

Jesus tells the woman her faith has made her well. He is not saying that her faith, by its own power, has made her well. The power to heal her came out of Him. He felt it. Her faith, though, compelled her to turn to Jesus for help, to believe that touching His cloak could heal her. Then His power proved that her faith in Him was right. Her faith healed her in the same way that swallowing medicine “heals” a disease—neither the person, nor their power, is responsible. All they can do is access the power of someone or something else.

Verse 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler ‘s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

Jesus and the disciples were following Jairus to his house. This ruler of the synagogue had asked Jesus to make his daughter well, though by the time they set off to see her, she was already dead (Matthew 9:18–19; Mark 5:21–24). After being delayed by the woman who touched the edge of His cloak and was healed (Matthew 9:20–22), Jesus and His followers arrive at Jairus’s home.

When they arrive, the period of ceremonial mourning has already begun. Very quickly following death, professional mourners would come to make a great commotion on behalf of the friends and family. Instruments would be played amidst loud wailing. This seems unusual to modern readers, especially in the west, but these were the common aspects of mourning—much as flower arrangements and “viewing” services are in modern times.

In the following verse, Jesus will command the mourners to leave. He will tell them the girl is not dead, after all.

Verse 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, has suffered what appears to be a great loss. His only daughter, about 12 years old, has died. Either before or after she died, Jairus went and found Jesus and asked Him to come and lay His hands on the girl and make her well. Jesus agreed (Matthew 9:18–19; Mark 5:21–24).

Stepping into Jairus’s home, however, it appears to most that Jesus is too late to do anything. The professional mourners have already arrived. They are playing flutes and making a loud commotion, likely the common ritual of loud wailing which represented the grieving of friends and family. Everyone believes the girl to be dead.

Jesus now commands them to leave. He tells them the girl is not, in fact, dead. She is only sleeping. The professional mourners laugh at Jesus, revealing their loud sadness is only a performance and showing their unbelief. Perhaps they knew Jesus as a healer. This time, they were sure, He was too late. Of course, He was right on time.

Verse 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

Jesus has come to the home of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Jairus asked Jesus to come and make his sick 12–year-old daughter well (Matthew 9:18–19; Mark 5:21–24). By the time Jesus and the disciples arrived, the girl was reportedly dead, and a group of professional mourners was already playing flutes and wailing. Jesus told them to go away because the girl was only sleeping (Matthew 9:23–24).

The crowd of mourners was ushered out of the house. We know from Luke that only five people remained inside with Him: Peter, James, John, and the girl’s parents (Luke 8:51). Now Jesus goes to the girl and takes her by the hand. Mark reports that He spoke to her, saying “Talitha cumi,” meaning “little girl, I say to you arise” (Mark 5:41). The girl did exactly that.

By touching a dead body, Jesus would have become ceremonially unclean under the law for seven days (Numbers 19:11–21). But since the girl immediately returned to life, He was not guilty of touching a corpse. Jesus repeatedly uses His power to restore cleanness to those who were unclean under the law.

Verse 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus has just restored a girl—understood by all observers to be dead—back to life. He simply took her by the hand, told her to rise, and she did.

This is perhaps Jesus’ greatest miracle so far. It connects Him to the prophets Elijah (1 Kings 17:17–24) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:17–37), who were both used by God to raise to life children who had died. The difference between them and Jesus was that neither Elijah nor Elisha claimed to the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus will again raise the dead, in even more dramatic fashion and before far more witnesses, when His friend Lazarus is resurrected (John 11).

Mark and Luke conclude the story of Jesus raising this girl to life by quoting Jesus as telling her parents to give her some food and then instructing them to tell no one about this (Mark 5:43; Luke 8:56). Either these amazed parents disobeyed that command or the mourners who had been removed figured it out. According to this verse, the report of this girl’s return to life spread through the entire district.

Jesus likely asked the parents to keep the miracle quiet because the crowds following Him were already nearly unmanageable. Jesus’ mission was to die for the sins of humanity, not to lead a revolution against the Romans. If the crowds following Him became too frenzied, it might bring trouble with the Romans sooner than He was planning (John 6:15). Still, Jesus’ commands to keep quiet about miraculous events rarely kept news from getting out.

Context Summary
Matthew 9:18–26 begins with the arrival of a ruler of the synagogue. He tells Jesus that his daughter has just died, but that she will live if Jesus comes and lays His hand on her (Mark 5:21–24). Jesus and the disciples are following the man to his house when a woman in the crowd touches the edge of Jesus’ garment. As also indicated in the gospel of Mark, she is immediately healed from a 12-year illness (Mark 5:25–29). Arriving at the home of the man, Jesus sends away the professional mourners. He takes the dead girl’s hand, and she is restored to life (Mark 5:35–43).

Verse 27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”

Matthew now turns to yet another of Jesus’ healing miracles. This seems to have taken place on the same day as the healing of the woman who touched His cloak and the raising of a girl back to life (Matthew 9:18–26).

Jesus, together with a large crowd, is working His way to a house, likely in Capernaum. In the crowd are two blind men who are crying out loudly. Other than Matthew’s own use of the title in the opening of his book, this is the first time in Matthew that someone refers to Jesus as the “Son of David.”

The term “Son of David” is the title of the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:11–13, 16). The use of that name leaves no doubt as to what these two blind men meant. They believed Jesus was the long-promised Christ. Many in this era were looking for the Promised One. These men had heard of Jesus’ great healings. They may have understood the prophecies of Isaiah about the age of the Messiah when “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5–6). Over the course of His earthly ministry, Jesus accomplished all these miracles of healing.

Since He was the Messiah, who opened the eyes of the blind, these two blind men wanted Jesus to heal them.

Verse 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

Two blind men have followed Jesus to a house, perhaps His own or maybe Matthew’s house in Capernaum. They have called out to Him for mercy, addressing Him as the Son of David, the name for the long-promised Messiah (Matthew 9:27). The fact that this was understood by two blind men while being missed by many others is not lost on Jesus.

Jesus does not heal the blind men out in the open. Perhaps He is trying to keep the crowds following Him from growing even larger. Perhaps He is not ready for everyone to accept that He is the Messiah who will save Israel. After He has healed them, Jesus will command the men to tell nobody (Matthew 9:30).

When Jesus reaches the house, the blind men follow Him inside and only then does He turn to them. He asks them one question: whether they sincerely believe He has the power to heal. Christ seems to have wanted the blind men to express their faith in Him, personally and directly.

Their answer is firm: they believed He could heal them, both calling Him “Lord.” In many of His reported healings, Jesus is drawn to the faith of those seeking to be made well. He wants the seeker to believe He is able to do what they are asking.

Verse 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

A pair of blind men have recognized that Jesus is the Messiah, referring to Him by the name Son of David. They have asked Him to have mercy on them, meaning that they want to receive their sight (Matthew 9:27). Jesus, waiting until He is inside with them, asked if they truly believed in His power to heal—and they responded with an enthusiastic “yes” (Matthew 9:28). Jesus cares deeply that those He heals believe He can heal them.

Now Jesus touches their blind eyes and tells them that their faith is the trigger for their miraculous restoration. It’s important to understand that these men are not healing themselves, nor is the healing power coming from their faith, itself. The men are healed “according to” their faith, not “by the power of” their belief.

It is Christ’s power—the power of God—that restores their sight. Their faith contributes to their healing to the extent that their faith is in Jesus and nothing else. Because He is the object of their faith, they will be healed by Him.

Verse 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.”

After asking two blind men about their faith in Him, Jesus has touched their eyes and healed them “according to your faith.” It’s not that these two had exceptionally pious lives, or that they were especially worthy of healing. It’s that their faith was placed in the right person: Jesus the Messiah. That faith was effective because Jesus is powerful and trustworthy (Matthew 9:27–29).

Now Jesus tells the two men—sternly, no less—to see that no one knows about what He has done for them. This is the second time Matthew mentions Jesus giving this kind of instruction to someone newly healed (Matthew 8:4). According to Mark, Jesus had given the same command to Jairus’s family (Mark 5:43), with similar results (Matthew 9:25–26). He seems to be attempting to keep His fame and reputation as the Messiah from spreading too quickly. It has not yet worked. One would imagine it would be difficult for two formerly blind men to hide the fact that they could now see. The following verse reveals that they do not seem to attempt it.

Verse 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus has once again commanded someone He has miraculously healed not to tell anyone about it (Matthew 8:4; 9:30; Mark 5:43). Once again, those who have been healed immediately disobey Him (Matthew 9:25–26). The two blind men who have just been given their sight by the Messiah went away from Jesus and spread His fame throughout the district. It’s hard to know how they could keep such a secret from those who knew them; when blind men suddenly see, it’s a hard thing to keep quiet.

Part of Jesus’ reasons for these commands is to keep His fame and reputation as the Messiah from getting out of control. Christ was sent to accomplish a specific plan: which did not include raising an army (John 18:36). Rather, His purpose was to die for the sins of humanity (John 12:32–36). If the crowds grew too large and aggressive (John 6:15), it could alter Jesus’ timetable. Still, God remained in full control of the timing and events of Jesus’ life.

Verse 32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him.

Christ has just restored the sight of two blind men (Matthew 9:27–31). This is possibly the same day that Jesus healed the woman who touched His cloak and raised to life the dead girl (Matthew 9:18–26). If so, then what is about to happen marks the fourth major and awe-inspiring healing miracle Jesus will have accomplished in back-to-back fashion. Each one is unique and points to Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God in a specific way (John 20:30–31).

As Jesus and His group are walking out the door, someone brings in a demon-oppressed man who is mute. Specifically, the demon oppressing the man was causing him to be unable to speak. Demons were understood as a fact of life in Jesus’ day. Those who attempted to cast them out often faced great difficulty in doing so. The fact that Jesus could simply order them to leave impressed everyone who saw it of His great power.

Verse 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”

A demon-oppressed man has just been brought before Jesus. Because of the demon, the man is mute. He cannot speak (Matthew 9:32). Jesus orders the demon away, and the man immediately begins talking. The crowd marvels and says that nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.

It’s unclear what makes this specific exorcism so fantastic to the crowds. Jesus had cast many demons out before this moment. It may have been the ease with which He did so or the impressiveness of the mute man suddenly being able to speak.

This is another miracle that points to Jesus as the Messiah. Isaiah wrote that in the Messianic age, “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5–6). Jesus has now accomplished all these miracles, indicating to those who believe that the age of the Messiah has begun.

The following verse shows that the Pharisees were not among those who believed (Matthew 9:34).

Verse 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

Scripture never presents miracles as routine, common, or ordinary. Miracles are intended to be “impossible” events which can only be explained by the intervention of God. In particular, they are meant to support or provide some kind of message. This is why the New Testament often refers to such acts as “signs” (John 6:14; 20:30–31). Like any other evidence, however, signs can be ignored or misinterpreted. Members of Israel’s Jewish religious leaders were present at many of Jesus’ healings and stood before Him as He taught. This includes the especially-religious group known as the Pharisees.

In spite of being eyewitnesses to Jesus’ undeniable displays of power in healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising the dead, the Pharisees refused to believe what others had come to: that Jesus was the Messiah, the long-promised Son of David, arrived at last to save Israel.

In order to reject that conclusion, the Pharisees need to explain the power behind Jesus’ miracles in some other way. Having seen Him cast out another demon in the previous verse, the Pharisees present declared that He casts out demons by the prince of demons. By this they meant that Satan was the power source behind Jesus’ easy command over the demons and perhaps the power behind His other miracles, as well.

A notable exception to this conclusion among the Pharisees was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus under the cover of darkness and admitted, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

Context Summary
Matthew 9:27–34 describes the healing of two blind men and one mute man. The blind men follow Jesus in the crowd, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” They believe Jesus is the Messiah and that He can make them see. Jesus does so, but they disobey His command not to tell anyone. Next, a demon-oppressed man is brought to Jesus. The demon has made the man unable to speak. Jesus casts out the demon, and the man starts talking. The crowds marvel at this, but the Pharisees decide Jesus’ power over demons comes from Satan.

Verse 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Matthew sums up the content of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee to this point. Jesus did three things as He travelled from town to town around the region: He taught in the synagogues. He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom. He healed every disease and affliction.

Nearly every town in Israel of any size had a synagogue. Jesus often taught in the synagogues, likely from the Old Testament Scriptures. He did this in the town of Nazareth, where He had grown up, teaching those gathered after reading a scroll from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16–30).

Matthew’s report on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5—7 includes several proclamations from Jesus about the gospel of the kingdom. In chapters 8—9, Matthew has presented a series of stories about Jesus healing every disease and affliction, as well as casting out demons, controlling the weather, and raising a dead girl to life.

Both Jesus’ teaching and His miracles have drawn huge crowds wherever He has gone. In fact, they are following Him from place to place. Watching those crowds, Jesus will express compassion for the people in the following verses.

Verse 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus’ teaching and miracles have drawn huge crowds. Some have travelled great distances to see Him. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus felt the need to get away from the crowds, escaping in a fishing boat all the way across the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:18). In those specific moments, Jesus recognized the need to rest and refresh Himself.

In a broader sense, though, Jesus looks at the crowds of people and is filled with compassion for them. These are the children of Israel. These are the people of God. Instead of flourishing, Jesus sees that they are harassed and helpless. If Matthew had stopped there, we might think Jesus’ sympathy for them had to do with Roman occupation. Instead Jesus feels compassion for a specific kind of misery: symbolized by the image of lost sheep.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Jesus challenged the attitudes and behaviors of Israel’s religious leaders in several important areas. This, though, is the greatest charge against them. Instead of shepherding the people of Israel with kindness and mercy, the Pharisees and the other religious leaders judge, intimidate, and bully the people into following rules and procedures not even found in the law of Moses. The people are helpless against these leaders, since their participation in the worship of God and life of the community is dependent on the approval of these men.

Jesus’ compassion and sympathy are another connection to God the Father (Psalm 103:13–14). His impulse to shepherd the people points again to the fact that He is the Messiah (Micah 5:4).

Verse 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

Looking out over the massive crowds that have come to see Him, Jesus is filled with compassion for the people. He sees that they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. This is not only an expression of care for the people. It’s an indictment of the failed spiritual leaders of Israel (John 10:11–13). In response to this compassion for the people, Jesus turns to His followers. His comment here meshes with remarks Jesus made after speaking to the woman at the well: “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35).

Jesus seems to be saying that many people are ready to believe in Jesus and be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. As the Great Shepherd, Jesus understands that this is their greatest need. This is how they will be rescued from their harassed and helpless condition and given peace, joy, and the hope of an eternal home with the Father.

What is the solution to this labor shortage? Jesus will say in the following verse that for His followers, it is prayer.

Verse 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus, looking out over the massive crowds that have come to see Him, is filled with compassion. They are leaderless and harassed. Many are ready to be spiritually “harvested,” in the sense that they are ready to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and follow Him on the path to life (John 4:35). The problem is that there are too few laborers to go out among the people and bring this good news, this gospel of Jesus. Luke 10:2 contains this same statement.

Now Jesus asks His followers to participate in the solution to this problem. He asks them to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest that He would send more and more laborers out with this message. Jesus identifies two roles that believers can serve: praying earnestly and going out as laborers with the gospel. In the following chapter, Jesus will send out His disciples to participate directly in the harvest.

Context Summary
Matthew 9:35–38 gives a wide-ranging overview of Jesus’ earthly teaching and preaching ministry. It describes Jesus’ great compassion while looking out over crowds of people who have come to see Him. He recognizes they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Christ tells His followers the harvest is plentiful, but there are too few workers. He commands those followers to pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers to gather it in.

Chapter Summary
Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.