Bullet Point Bible

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

¹ After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.² Just then some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven."³ Then some of the experts in the law said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming!"⁴ When Jesus perceived their thoughts he said, "Why do you respond with evil in your hearts?⁵ Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'?⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-then he said to the paralytic -"Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.⁷ So he stood up and went home.⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were afraid and honored God who had given such authority to men.

Jesus returns to Capernaum, referred to as "his own town" (Matthew 9:1; cf. Matthew 4:13).
The faith noted by Jesus belongs to those who brought the paralytic, demonstrating communal faith in action (Matthew 9:2).
Jesus prioritizes the man's spiritual need (forgiveness) over his physical ailment, highlighting the depth of human need beyond the visible.
The scribes ("experts in the law") internally accuse Jesus of blasphemy, as forgiveness of sins was considered a divine prerogative (Matthew 9:3).
Jesus demonstrates divine insight by perceiving their unspoken thoughts (Matthew 9:4).
Jesus links the authority to forgive sins (invisible) with the authority to heal physically (visible), using the latter to validate the former (Matthew 9:5-6).
The question `{{Which is easier...?}}` implies both acts require divine power. Healing provides tangible proof of his authority to forgive.
Jesus uses the title "Son of Man," his preferred self-designation, emphasizing both his humanity and his unique authority derived from God (cf. Daniel 7:13-14).
The crowd reacts with awe ("fear") and glorifies God, acknowledging the divine power displayed, though possibly misunderstanding its full implication regarding Jesus' identity (Matthew 9:8). They attribute the authority to "men" generally, not necessarily recognizing Jesus' unique status yet.

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him. So he got up and followed him.¹⁰ As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"¹² When Jesus heard this he said, "Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.¹³ Go and learn what this saying means: ' I want mercy and not sacrifice .' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Matthew (identified as the author of this Gospel) was a tax collector, a profession despised by Jews for collaboration with Roman occupiers and frequent corruption.
Jesus' call `{{Follow me}}` is concise yet demands total life reorientation, which Matthew immediately obeys (Matthew 9:9).
Sharing a meal signified acceptance and fellowship in ancient Near Eastern culture; Jesus dining with "sinners" was socially and religiously scandalous (Matthew 9:10).
"Sinners" likely refers to those who disregarded the finer points of the Mosaic Law or engaged in occupations deemed unclean or immoral by the religious elite.
The Pharisees challenge Jesus' disciples, questioning his association with the ritually impure and morally suspect (Matthew 9:11).
Jesus overhears and responds with the physician analogy: His mission is directed towards the spiritually "sick" (sinners) who recognize their need, not the self-perceived "healthy" (righteous) (Matthew 9:12).
Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6, emphasizing God's desire for compassion (`{{mercy}}`) over mere ritual correctness (`{{sacrifice}}`), challenging the Pharisees' legalistic priorities (Matthew 9:13).
His statement `{{For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners}}` clarifies his purpose: to invite those marginalized and aware of their sin into the Kingdom of God through repentance.

The Superiority of the New

¹⁴ Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"¹⁵ Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.¹⁶ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.¹⁷ And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved."

The question about fasting comes from John the Baptist's disciples, highlighting a contrast in practice between their group, the Pharisees, and Jesus' followers (Matthew 9:14). Fasting was a common expression of piety, mourning, or repentance.
Jesus uses the analogy of a wedding feast: His presence as the `{{bridegroom}}` signifies a time of joy and celebration, making fasting inappropriate for his followers (`{{wedding guests}}`) currently (Matthew 9:15).
This `{{bridegroom}}` imagery subtly points to Jesus' unique identity, echoing Old Testament descriptions of God as the husband/bridegroom of Israel.
Jesus anticipates a future time for fasting (`{{when the bridegroom will be taken from them}}`), foreshadowing his suffering, death, and departure (Matthew 9:15).
The parables of the cloth patch (Matthew 9:16) and the wineskins (Matthew 9:17) illustrate the fundamental newness of the Kingdom Jesus inaugurates.
The "new wine" of the Gospel and the Kingdom cannot be contained within the "old wineskins" of traditional Jewish structures and practices without destroying both.
Similarly, patching the "old garment" of the existing religious system with the "unshrunk cloth" of Jesus' teaching is incompatible and destructive.
These analogies declare that Jesus' ministry represents a radical break, requiring new forms and structures, not just a modification of the old.

Restoration and Healing

¹⁸ As he was saying these things, a leader came, bowed low before him, and said, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live."¹⁹ Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.²⁰ But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.²¹ For she kept saying to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed."²² But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, "Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed from that hour.²³ When Jesus entered the leader's house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd,²⁴ he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep!" And they began making fun of him.²⁵ But when the crowd had been forced outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up.²⁶ And the news of this spread throughout that region.

A synagogue leader, a man of religious standing, demonstrates profound faith by asking Jesus to raise his daughter who had just died (Matthew 9:18).
This story is interwoven with the healing of the bleeding woman, creating a narrative sandwich ("intercalation") common in Mark's Gospel, which Matthew also uses here.
The woman suffered from a chronic hemorrhage for 12 years, making her perpetually ritually unclean (Leviticus 15:25-30) and likely socially ostracized (Matthew 9:20).
Her act of touching the "edge" (Greek: *kraspedon*, the tassel) of Jesus' garment was an act of desperate faith, perhaps tinged with fear of causing ritual defilement (Matthew 9:20-21).
Jesus affirms her faith as the conduit for her healing (`{{Your faith has made you well}}`) and restores her dignity by calling her `{{daughter}}` (Matthew 9:22).
At the leader's house, the presence of flute players (professional mourners) confirms the girl's death (Matthew 9:23).
Jesus' statement `{{the girl is not dead but asleep}}` recontextualizes death as a temporary state over which he has power, though the mourners mock him (Matthew 9:24).
Jesus demonstrates authority over death by taking the girl's hand and raising her (Matthew 9:25). This contrasts with OT prophets who prayed for resurrection; Jesus acts with direct authority.
These two miracles showcase Jesus' power over both chronic disease and death itself, fulfilling Messianic expectations (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6).

Healing the Blind

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men began to follow him, shouting, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"²⁸ When he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, Yes, Lord.²⁹ Then he touched their eyes saying, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."³⁰ And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about this!"³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.

Two blind men persistently follow Jesus, appealing to his mercy (Matthew 9:27).
Their cry, `{{Son of David}}`, is a significant Messianic title, acknowledging Jesus' royal lineage and linking him to prophetic promises (Matthew 9:27).
Jesus tests the depth of their belief by asking `{{Do you believe that I am able to do this?}}`, emphasizing the role of faith in receiving healing (Matthew 9:28).
Their confident reply, `{{Yes, Lord}}`, expresses personal trust in his power and authority.
Jesus explicitly links the miracle to their faith: `{{Let it be done for you according to your faith}}` (Matthew 9:29). Faith doesn't earn the miracle but is the condition for receiving it.
Jesus commands them to keep the healing secret (`{{See that no one knows about this!}}`), possibly to avoid sensationalism, manage crowd expectations of a political Messiah, or control the timing of his full revelation (Matthew 9:30).
Despite the stern warning, the healed men disobey and spread the news, illustrating the irrepressible impact of Jesus' miracles and the growing public awareness of his power (Matthew 9:31).

Healing the Mute

³² As they were going away, a man who was demon-possessed and unable to speak was brought to him.³³ After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, "Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!"³⁴ But the Pharisees said, "By the ruler of demons he casts out demons!"

This healing immediately follows the previous one, showcasing another dimension of Jesus' authority: power over demonic forces causing physical disability (Matthew 9:32).
The exorcism results in the restoration of speech, a clear demonstration of liberation (Matthew 9:33).
The crowds react with astonishment, recognizing the unique and unprecedented nature of Jesus' ministry in Israel's history (Matthew 9:33).
In sharp contrast, the Pharisees attribute Jesus' power to Beelzebul, the prince of demons, escalating their opposition and hostility (Matthew 9:34).
This accusation represents a willful misinterpretation of divine power as demonic, a theme further developed in Matthew 12:24.
Matthew presents the diverging responses to Jesus: popular amazement versus entrenched religious opposition, setting up the conflict central to the Gospel narrative.

Workers for the Harvest

³⁵ Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.³⁸ Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields."

This passage summarizes the nature of Jesus' ministry: itinerant teaching, proclamation of the Kingdom's arrival, and compassionate healing (Matthew 9:35), echoing the summary in Matthew 4:23.
Jesus' primary motivation is deep compassion (Greek *splagchnizomai*) for the spiritual condition of the people (Matthew 9:36).
He perceives the crowds as distressed and directionless, lacking spiritual leadership, using the common biblical metaphor of `{{sheep without a shepherd}}` (cf. Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5).
Jesus employs the metaphor of a `{{harvest}}` to describe the vast spiritual opportunity and the readiness of people to respond to God's Kingdom (Matthew 9:37).
The challenge is not the lack of potential (`{{The harvest is plentiful}}`) but the shortage of laborers (`{{the workers are few}}`) to gather it.
Jesus directs his disciples to pray to God (`{{the Lord of the harvest}}`) as the solution, emphasizing reliance on God to supply the needed workers (Matthew 9:38).
This section serves as a crucial transition, highlighting the need that leads directly to the commissioning of the twelve apostles in Matthew 10 to participate in this harvest work.
The call to prayer underscores that mission expansion is ultimately God's initiative, requiring divine provision.

The Bullet Point Bible

Matthew 9