Matthew 9:27-38 - Jesus’ Mercy and Our Mission

As we continue preaching on the miracles of Jesus, we close out 2 chapters Matthew 8–9 which walked us through a gallery of ten miracles that reveal who Jesus is and what His kingdom is like. Our passage today has three scenes:

1. two blind men who see (27–31),
2. a mute man who speaks (32–34), and
3. The compassionate Christ who calls for workers (35–38).

(27-31) As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

(32-34) While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

(35-38) Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

In our study of the book of Matthew, Jesus has taught about the Kingdom of Heaven, The Kingdom of God. The invitation is for those who desire him, who will repent, those who are poor in spirit (those who know they need God), those on the fringe of society, the unclean, outcasts, sinners, and to those who are willing to obey and follow his example of mercy and compassion.

We are in the book of Matthew, going through the miracles of Jesus. This is a story of two miracles, one occurring in the midst of the other.

A little seminary lesson to kick off this morning…

Matthew abbreviates the stories to highlight certain important Jewish points to emphasize Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience.

Luke is writing to Theophilus, which means “lover of God”, who we believe to be a significant person in the early Church who then circulated the gospel account.

Mark’s account is pastoral, to encourage and build up the faith of the Church in the face of dangerous persecution.

Anyway, Matthew for sure, condenses this story, focusing on the faith-response rather than the chronology. We will be drawing from parallel passages in Mark / Luke

Matthew 9:18-26

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.

Matthew 9:1-8

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

The Set Up

Jesus and the disciples stepped back into a boat, most likely the same boat

Jesus, after calming a storm and casting out a legion of demons, returns to "his own city," Capernaum, based on Mark 2:1, A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.

This city served as His base of operations for much of His Galilean ministry. It's here that He encounters a situation that challenges the religious leaders and reveals once again, what kind of man is this?