(Mat 9:1 NASB) And getting into a boat, He crossed over, and came to His own city.
(Mat 9:2 NASB) And behold, they were bringing to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mat 9:2: Yeshua left the Gadarenes and crossed the sea once again and came into Nazareth, which is the city where He was raised.
Some local believers brought a man who was paralyzed to Him for healing. The method of healing is one where Yeshua provides “forgiveness.” This forgiveness heals the man. This is a basic fact from the Tanakh (Psalm 32:1-5). It is His righteousness that brings health and healing (Prov. 3:1-8, 4:20-22).
This man is being made righteous in the eyes of Elohim, therefore he may live. This whole principle is based in Torah (Lev. 18:5).
(Mat 9:3 NASB) And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”
(Mat 9:4 NASB) And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
(Mat 9:5 NASB) “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, and walk’?
Mat 9:5: Some people said it was blasphemy for anyone but Elohim to forgive sins. They are partially correct. For Yeshua was giving a sign to the people that He is Messiah, a manifestation of Elohim in the flesh, and salvation is coming (Isa. 35:4-6).
(Mat 9:6 NASB) “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– then He said to the paralytic– “Rise, take up your bed, and go home.”
Mat 9:6: They are correct that only Elohim has the power to forgive sins (Isa. 43:25, Micah 7:18). He is telling them His identity by telling them that He has the power to forgive sin and He demonstrated it by healing the man.
What good would it do for Yeshua to go around telling the people that their sins are forgiven and then doing nothing for them? Yeshua was not some phony prophet or teacher that was full of hot air. He did not proclaim Himself. He is a man of action and He let His actions speak for themselves. He let others make the proclamation that He is Messiah.
(Mat 9:7 NASB) And he rose, and went home.
(Mat 9:8 NASB) But when the multitudes saw this, they were filled with awe, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
(Mat 9:9 NASB) And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he rose, and followed Him.
Mat 9:9: Matthew only humbly mentions himself this one time in his Gospel. He does make note of his instant response to Yeshua.
(Mat 9:10 NASB) And it happened that as He was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax-gatherers and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.
(Mat 9:11 NASB) And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?”
Mat 9:11: Yeshua was going to those who were hungry for the Word of Elohim. He was not going to those who would not listen. Those who were involved in the worst of sin were those who sought Him. The fact that these men and women did not go the Pharisees for Truth was to their benefit.
(Mat 9:12 NASB) But when He heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
(Mat 9:13 NASB) “But go and learn what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mat 9:13: The Pharisees did not see their own sin and how they were corrupting others to be bigger sons of Satan than they were. They were blinded by their own pride and power.
Yeshua quoted a passage from Tanakh that was telling the Pharisees that they were only wise in their own eyes (Prov. 21:2-3, Hosea 6:4-6, Micah 6:6-8).
Yeshua did not come to call those that thought themselves to be righteous. But He came to call those who knew they were sinners to repentance.
It seems that the most difficult people to talk to about Torah are those who think they are righteous in their own eyes. Those who know something is wrong can be healed by Torah.
(Mat 9:14 NASB) Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
Mat 9:14: The disciples of John were apparently honest men seeking answers. Yeshua answered them in a straightforward manner. When someone fasts, it is a sign of mourning and sadness. Fasting is not done in celebration.
(Mat 9:15 NASB) And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Mat 9:15: Yeshua is saying that His disciples cannot fast at this time just as the attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn for their friend the bridegroom before the wedding. It is a time of celebration.
But the days are coming when Yeshua will be taken away from them by death. In that day they will mourn.
(Mat 9:16 NASB) “But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
(Mat 9:17 NASB) “Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mat 9:17: The question is “why don’t you and your disciples fast like the Pharisees?” The Pharisees added fasting and mourning to their routines on a regular basis (Luke 8:9-14).
Yeshua is saying that the traditions of the Pharisees cannot be added to the Truth of the Word of Elohim.
(Mat 9:18 NASB) While He was saying these things to them, behold, there came a synagogue official, and bowed down before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”
(Mat 9:19 NASB) And Jesus rose and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.
Mat 9:19: This synagogue official believed that Yeshua could raise his daughter from the dead. This synagogue official may have been a Sadducee.
(Mat 9:20 NASB) And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;
(Mat 9:21 NASB) for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall get well.”
(Mat 9:22 NASB) But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” And at once the woman was made well.
Mat 9:22: This account in the Gospel of Luke gives much more detail. The woman knew that if she touched the “fringe” of His garment, she would be healed. This Greek word for “fringe” is another word for “tassel:” 2899. I der.; a margin, i.e. (spec.) a fringe or tassel:– border, hem.
This is a testimony to the identity of Yeshua as Messiah. It was prophesied that the sun of righteousness would have healing on the fringe of His garments (Mal. 4:2). In the account recorded in Luke, we are told that the woman was told by Yeshua to explain to the people why she did what she did (Luke 8:43-48). The reason “why” she touched his garment is because she knew He was the Messiah, the Sun of Righteousness. Therefore she was healed.
(Mat 9:23 NASB) And when Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd in noisy disorder,
Mat 9:23: We are told in Luke’s account that this young girl who had died was 12 years old (Luke 8:41-42). This woman with an issue of blood had this malady for 12 years. This is a testimony that both of these females were playing a large part in demonstrating the providence of Elohim..
(Mat 9:24 NASB) He began to say, “Depart; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.
(Mat 9:25 NASB) But when the crowd had been put out, He entered and took her by the hand; and the girl arose.
(Mat 9:26 NASB) And this news went out into all that land.
Mat 9:26: This girl was asleep. She was not slain, but only asleep. That is how Scripture often describes death. But that is for another day.
Yeshua raised this young girl from her rest and He and the Father were glorified.
(Mat 9:27 NASB) And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Mat 9:27: These two blind men saw what most in that day could not see. They saw Yeshua as the Messiah and they proclaimed Him as such. Their demonstration of “blind faith(fulness)” was remarkable.
(Mat 9:28 NASB) And after He had come into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said^ to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
(Mat 9:29 NASB) Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Be it done to you according to your faith.”
Mat 9:29: The men demonstrated faithfulness in Messiah and they were healed according to their faith.
(Mat 9:30 NASB) And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See here, let no one know about this!”
(Mat 9:31 NASB) But they went out, and spread the news about Him in all that land.
Mat 9:31: These men were to keep silent about Yeshua. He did not want to be revealed at this time. Their excitement got the best of them and they went and told everybody.
(Mat 9:32 NASB) And as they were going out, behold, a dumb man, demon-possessed, was brought to Him.
(Mat 9:33 NASB) And after the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.”
(Mat 9:34 NASB) But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Mat 9:34: The Pharisees had the proof right in front of them, but they intentionally were not going to follow Him.
(Mat 9:35 NASB) And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
(Mat 9:36 NASB) And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.
Mat 9:36: The people were distressed and downcast. They lived in a world of uncertainly and hopelessness. Elohim had not given them a message in over 400 years. Yeshua had compassion on the people.
In the calling of the other Yeshua (Joshua), this same wording was used. (Num. 27:16-17).
(Mat 9:37 NASB) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
(Mat 9:38 NASB) “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Mat 9:38: The disciples were to beseech Elohim to send out workers into His harvest. They were those workers. The calling is discussed in the next chapter.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas