Matthew 9

Matthew 9 presents a series of authoritative encounters where Jesus exercises his power to forgive sins, heal the diseased, and call disciples, while simultaneously challenging the rigid traditionalism of the Pharisees.

• Jesus demonstrates authority to forgive sins by healing a paralytic, causing controversy among the scribes.
• Jesus calls Matthew from his tax booth and aligns himself with sinners, asserting his role as a physician to the sick.
• Jesus defends his disciples against the Pharisees regarding the practice of fasting by using the metaphor of the Bridegroom.
• Jesus asserts his power over death and physical infirmity through the healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.
• Jesus restores sight to the blind and speech to the mute, inciting both public wonder and Pharisaic blasphemy.
• Jesus concludes the chapter by commissioning his disciples to pray for laborers for the harvest, moved by compassion for the leaderless multitudes.

• The city of Capernaum serves as the central location.
• The term 'Son of Man' is used to assert divine authority on earth (v6).
• The 'new wine' and 'new bottles' metaphor illustrates the incompatibility of the Kingdom with legalistic tradition.
• The harvest imagery highlights the spiritual state of the people as sheep without a shepherd.

This chapter shifts from the ethical instruction of the Sermon on the Mount to the display of the King's power, establishing that the Kingdom of God involves both the forgiveness of sins and the transformation of physical reality.

Jesus Christ possesses the unique authority to forgive sins and restore life, and he invites his followers to participate in his compassionate mission to seek the lost.

The chapter functions as a collection of 'sign-acts' demonstrating Jesus' messianic identity, followed by a pivot toward the necessity of prayer and mission in light of the coming harvest.

• The promise of healing for those who come to him (v22, v29).
• The promise of restoration of life (v25).

• Follow me (v9).
• Go ye and learn what that meaneth (v13).
• Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest (v38).

• The warning against holding to traditions that ruin the new life of the Kingdom (v16-17).

• Capernaum was a thriving fishing and trade town, serving as the base for Jesus' ministry in Galilee.
• The receipt of custom was where tax collectors operated, often viewed by Jews as traitors for collaborating with Rome.
• The presence of minstrels at the house of Jairus reflects standard Jewish mourning practices for the dead.

• Sharing a meal was a profound sign of fellowship and social acceptance; thus, Jesus eating with 'publicans and sinners' was a radical act of grace.
• An issue of blood made a person ceremonially unclean, making the woman's touch of Jesus' garment a socially daring act.

• The chapter follows the Sermon on the Mount, demonstrating the power behind the authority of Jesus' teachings.
• It serves as a bridge between the revelation of the King and the mission of his disciples.

• Jesus cites Hosea 6:6, asserting that God prefers covenantal faithfulness (mercy) over mere ritual observance (sacrifice).
• The title 'Son of David' (v27) is a messianic identification, linking Jesus to the covenantal promises of the Davidic throne.

• Matthew 9:13 quotes Hosea 6:6: 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.'
• The reference to sheep 'having no shepherd' (v36) alludes to Numbers 27:17, where Moses prays for Israel, and Ezekiel 34, where God promises to shepherd His people Himself.

• ἀφίημι (G863): To send away, forgive. Used here to denote the releasing of the debt of sin.
• πίστις (G4102): Faith, meaning conviction or reliance upon the person of Christ.
• ἐμβαίνω (G1684): To embark or enter into the boat (v1), emphasizing the transition of Jesus' ministry.
• Matthew Henry observes that regarding Matthew's call (v9), Christ comes with calls to those who are employed in their daily work, noting that a saving change is wrought in the soul by Christ as the author.

• The Pharisees often speak 'within themselves' or to others, emphasizing their internal skepticism, while Jesus knows their hearts (v4).
• The progression of the crowd's reaction: from astonishment to witnessing the supernatural power of the Son of Man.

• The interpretation of the 'new wine' and 'old bottles' (v17) is debated regarding the relationship between the Law and the Gospel; some view this as total replacement, while others view it as the fulfillment and transformation of the Old Covenant into the New.