Category: Matthew 9

Matt. 9:10 – Later, Jesus went to Matthew’s home to share a meal with him. Many other tax collectors and outcasts of society were invited to eat with Jesus and his disciples.

There is an art to being a good fisherman. When I was a young child we used to return to by dad’s old stomping grounds in Tampa, Florida. He had an old friend who was an avid fisherman who would take us out each year and we would go fishing in Tampa Bay. My dad was a good fisherman but his friend lived in that world all the time. Even though he wasn’t “family” I knew him as Uncle Lester. When Uncle Lester went fishing you could be sure you would load up the boat.

Jesus was an expert in the arena of fishing for souls. He knew exactly where to go and exactly what the “fish” would be biting on. In today’s verse Jesus went fishing at an old sinner’s house. This sinner was His newest follower Matthew. Jesus knew a party at Matthew’s house would be irresistible to Mathew’s friends. The word of Matthew’s conversion that had spread through the community would serve as bait. This would be easy, all the fish would show up . That night would be a night of harvest. Here is how Matthew Henry describes this scene.

“He invited many publicans and sinners to meet him. This was the chief thing Matthew aimed at in this treat, that he might have an opportunity of bringing his old associates acquainted with Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not despair concerning them. Note, They who are effectually brought to Christ themselves, cannot but be desirous that others also may be brought to him, and ambitious of contributing something towards it. True grace will not contentedly eat its morsels alone, but will invite others. When by the conversion of Matthew the fraternity was broken, presently his house was filled with publicans, and surely some of them will follow him, as he followed Christ.”

Henry takes it a little farther, He seems to think that Matthew was already involved with this fishing exposition. If you have been unsuccessful in fishing for souls maybe you should change your tactics. Go to a newly converted sinner’s house and throw a party. Before you know it the fish will be jumping in the boat.

Matt. 9:4 – But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if someone, anyone, could read your thoughts? The thought of it could be quite terrifying depending on what sort of thoughts are swirling around inside your head. Thoughts about people’s looks or weight or sins of choice. Or maybe their hygiene or bad breath. Or possibly even more sinister or unclean thoughts that could be exposed rather than staying hidden away in your own little world. That’s where today’s verse can shock us back into reality. There is Someone who reads all of our thoughts about everything. We see a glimpse of it in today’s story, these Pharisees were thinking evil thoughts about the Lord; they might as well have just blurted them out for everyone to hear. He knew what was in their head anyway, He knows what is in our heads right now as well. He read their mail and then took action, “Is it easier to forgive sins or tell a man to get up and walk? So that you know that I have the authority to do this,” He turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Get up, pick up your mat and go home”.

Wow! What a shock for these angry men. The shocking result, they just got angrier. Here is how Spurgeon describes this verse.

“He is the great thought-reader. Just now we met with the expression, “seeing their faith”, and now we read, “knowing their thoughts. ” He puts the questioners to the question. His whys and wherefores go to the root of the matter. We are responsible for secret thoughts, and the Lord will one day call us to account concerning them. Accusations against Jesus are always unreasonable, and when fairly faced are put to silence. It would be well if many of our Lord’s enemies today could be brought to ponder the question, “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ” What is the cause of it? What is the good of it? Why not cease from it?”

So we might as well come clean before the Lord, He knows what is going on in our hearts anyway. Its far better to get it all out in the open now than to deceive yourself by thinking you can hide it. The great day will pull the covers off of every hidden thought.

Matt. 9:3 – And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

This is a very enlightening phrase, short but absolutely poisonous. The Lord reveals the darkness of the souls of the religious leaders at the time of Christ. Why were they even in the meeting that day? They were hoping to find an opening, anything that they could use to trip Jesus up. They thought they found it when Jesus told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven. The attitude of the Pharisees exposed the darkness of their hearts. In this verse the translation hardly brings out the intent. The word “man” is not in the original. All they said was “this” or houtos. This was a derogatory term that meant, this thing or whoever. They couldn’t even call Jesus a man; to them He was disgusting. Here is how Spurgeon explains this phrase.

“See those scribes, those students of the letter of the Word, who know how many letters there are in every Book of the Old Testament, and have counted them so accurately that they can tell which is the middle letter. Wonderfully wise men, those! Do you see them? They are very vexed and angry, and they think hard thoughts of Christ. They did not dare to speak out what they thought—the people would not have listened to them just then if they had spoken, so they held their tongues, but they did not hold their hearts, and there was a thought-reader there—not one who professed the art, but One who possessed it— and He heard where the quickest ear would have failed to detect the faintest sound. Jesus heard the scribes mentally say, “This.” If you look at your Bibles, you will find that the word, “man,” is printed in italics and that the scribes said within themselves, “This,” they meant, “fellow”— they meant any black name that you like to put in, “This blasphemer.” They would not say what they thought of Him—they did not like to call Him anything but just, “This…This offscouring.”

Amazing how even the miracles could not soften the hearts of the men who already had their minds made up. Could it be the same today? Could some be so prejudiced by what they think church should be like that they miss the uniqueness of Christ and His work? The Pharisees didn’t like roofs being ripped off or sins being forgiven; all the lame man knew is that he got his life back.