Jesus returns to His own city, Capernaum. While those who are satisfied with themselves refuse Him, those who are in need or care about others in need seek Him. Some with faith in Him bring their sick friend to Him. Jesus meets the man’s greatest need first, his sins, and says, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” The unbelievers think evil in their hearts: What man has the right to forgive sins? He was just a man in their eyes. Then He shows His power to forgive by curing the man. He who suffered God’s judgment for my sins has the right to forgive them.
No man can serve Jesus who does not first follow Him. Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow Me.” He obeyed; he followed Him. Matthew was a tax collector. They were despised, for they collected taxes for the Romans who had conquered land and forced them to pay taxes. They question His followers why He would eat with such people, and He tells them, I came to call the sinner, not the righteous. Their question shows that their hearts were not right, for God says, “There is none righteous, no not one.”
People wondered why Jesus did things differently than those who came before Him. In answering their questions, He spoke about “new wine” and “old bottles.” Jesus was introducing new things which God had never given to man before, and those “new” things could not be put into the “old” ways. It is a great mistake to try and fit New Testament Christianity into Old Testament Jewish ways.
True faith trusts in the Person of Jesus. He can meet my need, all my needs whatever they are. The woman with the blood disease thought, If I can just touch His garment, I will be well. She did; she touched. She did not have to say anything. He saw her faith, He understood her unspoken need, and she was immediately made well.
The public life and work of Jesus until His death is summarized in one verse: “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
1. Who has the power (and right) to forgive sins? __________ Matthew 9:___
2. What did Matthew (the writer of Matthew) do when Jesus told him, “Follow Me”? __________ Matthew 9:___
3. No one puts __________ cloth on an __________ garment. Matthew 9:___
4. Her faith said, If I touch His garment, “I shall be made __________.” Matthew 9:___
5. Before Jesus died on the cross, He was busy preaching the gospel and __________ every sickness and disease. Matthew 9:___