Matthew, Chapter 9

Matt. 9:1 "And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 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 multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men."

"Palsy" is a word that literally means paralytic. The man who was healed was paralytic. He was paralyzed and there was no medicine or operation that could heal him. His friends brought the paralyzed man to Jesus. They, no doubt, believed that Jesus was the Son of God and that he had power to heal the paralyzed man. Jesus saw their faith. They had demonstrated their faith in that they brought him to Jesus believing him to be the Son of God and that he had power over all disease.

Jesus said unto the palsied, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." This raises an interesting question: "Which is more important: having your sins forgiven or having natural strength to walk?" Whether we realize it or not, having ones sins forgiven is more important than having natural strength to walk in this life. If our sins have been forgiven us, then in the resurrection our natural bodies will be completely whole also. We should be more "cheered" that our sins have been forgiven us than that our bodies are whole.

"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?" The scribes did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God or that he had the authority to forgive sins. Jesus read their hearts and knew that they were thinking these evil thoughts in their hearts.

There are two Greek words that are translated "power" in the New Testament. One is "exousia" and means authority. The other is "dunamis" and means strength. Authority ultimately derives from strength. He who has the most strength has the most authority. God created the universe by his strength. Subsequently, he has the authority to order it and control it as he pleases.

In our subject passage of scripture, Jesus showed his authority to forgive sins by manifesting his strength over the disease. Therefore, Jesus said, "For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?" Words are easily spoken or disputed. The proof is in the doing. If Jesus could manifest that he could just simply tell a palsied man to "Arise and walk" then he definitely had authority to forgive his sins. So Jesus said unto the scribes and to the palsied man, " 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." Jesus put his own assertion to the test. If the palsied man arose and took up his bed, then Jesus had authority to forgive sins and no man could rationally deny it. In response to the effectual words of Jesus the palsied man "arose, and departed to his house."
We do not see the scribes' response to the above. I suspect that they still did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. No amount of miracles set before the eyes of the unregenerate (not born again) are going to make them believe in God. To the multitude that had been born of the Spirit the response was "they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men." The word, "power," here is "exousia" meaning authority. Therefore, they believed that he had the authority to forgive sins.

Matt. 9:9

Matt. 9:9 "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."

Matthew is one of the original twelve apostles. His name was also called Levi: Lk. 5:27 "And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them."

Matthew is also the author of the book of Matthew. He was a publican, i.e., a tax collector. Publicans were not generally well liked. They collected money from people who owed taxes. Jesus did not go to the popular to call his disciples or apostles.

Jesus goes to the men who are to be his ministers or preachers. They did not come to him. Jesus called Matthew saying, "Follow me." Thus, before Matthew became an apostle he was a follower. This is true of all the gospel ministers. They must first be followers before they can be gospel ministers. They must be followers of Jesus and not just followers of some man.

When Jesus called Matthew, he immediately arose and followed Jesus. This should be our response when Jesus calls us to be ministers. Sometimes, men resist that calling, but they will suffer chastisement when they do.

Matthew's response to Jesus' call was a complete response. He left all and followed Jesus. If we are to be the disciples of Jesus then we must be prepared to make Jesus the priority of our lives.

Matt. 9:10-13

Matt. 9:10 "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. 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."

In the scriptures, when you ate with someone you were considered to have fellowship with them. This was one reason that the Jews would not eat with the Gentiles. When Jesus sat down and ate with the publicans and sinners, he was having fellowship with the publicans and sinners.
The Pharisees were righteous in their own eyes. They felt themselves to be above publicans and sinners. They believed they should have fellowship only with others that they believed to be righteous. They believed it to be below their worthiness to eat or have fellowship with publicans and sinners. When they asked the disciples of Jesus why Jesus ate with publicans and sinners, they were questioning the wisdom of Jesus for eating with someone they felt to be unclean and unrighteous.

Jesus said unto the Pharisees, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 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." According to Rom. 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." We are all sinners in the sight of a just and holy God. This was not how the Pharisees viewed themselves. They believed themselves to be righteous through their own works.

When Jesus said that he was not come to call the righteous to repentance, he was talking about the Pharisees who believed they were righteous through their works. Jesus did not come to call those who are righteous in their own eyes to repentance. It would not do any good to call them to repentance. They do not believe they have a need for repentance. They also are as those that are whole and need not a physician. If a person believes himself to be perfectly healthy, he will not go to a physician to be healed. The Pharisees did not believe that they needed a spiritual physician, because they did not believe themselves to be spiritually sick.

The publicans and sinners had an entirely different view of themselves. They knew they were sinners and they were sick of sin. Only those who have been born of the Spirit have the ability to feel their own sinfulness and to loathe their own sinfulness. It is to those who feel their own sinfulness and loathe their own sinfulness that Jesus has called to repentance. Jesus is the sinners' friend. He eats with publicans and sinners. He has fellowship with publicans and sinners. He is the Great Physician of publicans and sinners. Publicans and sinners are the only ones that can repent.

Jesus said, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." Jesus did not come to destroy heart-felt sinners, but he came to show forth his mercy to those who feel their own sinfulness. They are his people, which he chose before the foundation of the world. They are the same people that he quickened into spiritual life when they were dead in trespasses and sin. Because of this quickening, they now feel themselves to be sinner. It is to these that Jesus has mercy.