Matthew 9
9
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
1Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed. The man was lying on his mat. Jesus saw that these people had great faith, so he said to the paralyzed man, “Be happy, young man. Your sins are forgiven.”
3Some of the teachers of the law heard this. They said to themselves, “This man speaks as if he were God—that is blasphemy!”# Saying things against God.
4Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said, “Why are you thinking evil thoughts? 5Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? 6But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up. Take your mat and go home.” 7And the man stood up and went home. 8The people saw this and were amazed. They praised God for giving power like this to men.
Jesus Chooses Matthew
9When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew. Matthew was sitting in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew stood up and followed Jesus.
10Jesus had dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers. 11The Pharisees saw this and asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
12Jesus heard the Pharisees ask this. So he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor. 13Go and learn what this means: ‘I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices.’# Quotation from Hosea 6:6. I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”
Jesus Is Not Like Other Jews
14Then the followers of John# John the Baptist, who preached to people about Christ’s coming (Matthew 3; Luke 3). came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, “We and the Pharisees often give up eating.# This is called “fasting.” The people would give up eating for a special time of prayer and worship to God. It was also done to show sadness. But your followers don’t. Why?”
15Jesus answered, “The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. Then his friends are sad, and they will give up eating.
16“When someone sews a patch over a hole in an old coat, he never uses a piece of cloth that is not yet shrunk. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat. Then the hole will be worse. 17Also, people never pour new wine into old leather bags for holding wine. If they do, the old bags will break. The wine will spill, and the wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new wine bags. Then the wine and the wine bags will continue to be good.”
Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
18While Jesus was saying these things, a ruler of the synagogue came to him. The ruler bowed down before Jesus and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and touch her with your hand, and she will live again.”
19So Jesus stood up and went with the ruler. Jesus’ followers went too.
20Then a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. 21She was thinking, “If I can touch his coat, then I will be healed.”
22Jesus turned and saw the woman. He said, “Be happy, dear woman. You are made well because you believed.” And the woman was healed at once.
23Jesus continued along with the ruler and went into the ruler’s house. Jesus saw people there who play music for funerals. And he saw many people there crying. 24Jesus said, “Go away. The girl is not dead. She is only asleep.” But the people laughed at Jesus. 25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went into the girl’s room. He took her hand, and she stood up. 26The news about this spread all around the area.
Jesus Heals More People
27When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, “Show kindness to us, Son of David!”
28Jesus went inside, and the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?”
They answered, “Yes, Lord.”
29Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “You believe that I can make you see again. So this will happen.” 30Then the men were able to see. But Jesus warned them very strongly, saying, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus all around that area.
32When the two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon in him. 33Jesus forced the demon to leave the man. Then the man who couldn’t talk was able to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel.”
34But the Pharisees said, “The leader of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.”
35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Good News about the kingdom. And he healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 36He saw the crowds of people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd. 37Jesus said to his followers, “There are many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers to help harvest them. 38God owns the harvest. Pray to him that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest.”# As a farmer sends workers to harvest the grain, Jesus sends his followers to bring people to God.
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Matthew 9: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Matthew 9
9
1 AND JESUS, getting into a boat, crossed to the other side and came to His own town [Capernaum].
2 And behold, they brought to Him a man paralyzed and prostrated by illness, lying on a sleeping pad; and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted.
3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man blasphemes [He claims the rights and prerogatives of God]!
4 But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?
5 For which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted, or to say, Get up and walk?
6 But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and remit the penalty, He then said to the paralyzed man, Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad and go to your own house.
7 And he got up and went away to his own house.
8 When the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear and awe; and they recognized God and praised and thanked Him, Who had given such power and authority to men.
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's office; and He said to him, Be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. And he rose and followed Him.
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners came and sat (reclined) with Him and His disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and those [preeminently] sinful?
12 But when Jesus heard it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick.
13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin). [Hos. 6:6.]
14 Then the disciples of John came to Jesus, inquiring, Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, [that is, abstain from food and drink as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?
15 And Jesus replied to them, Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 And no one puts a piece of cloth that has not been shrunk on an old garment, for such a patch tears away from the garment and a worse rent (tear) is made.
17 Neither is new wine put in old wineskins; for if it is, the skins burst and are torn in pieces, and the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.
18 While He was talking this way to them, behold, a ruler entered and, kneeling down, worshiped Him, saying, My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will come to life.
19 And Jesus got up and accompanied him, with His disciples.
20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment; [Matt. 14:36.]
21 For she kept saying to herself, If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health.
22 Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at once the woman was restored to health.
23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making an uproar and din,
24 He said, Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping. And they laughed and jeered at Him.
25 But when the crowd had been ordered to go outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26 And the news about this spread through all that district.
27 As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting loudly, Have pity and mercy on us, Son of David!
28 When He reached the house and went in, the blind men came to Him, and 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, According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;
30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus earnestly and sternly charged them, See that you let no one know about this.
31 But they went off and blazed and spread His fame abroad throughout that whole district.
32 And while they were going away, behold, a dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus.
33 And when the demon was driven out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds were stunned with bewildered wonder, saying, Never before has anything like this been seen in Israel.
34 But the Pharisees said, He drives out demons through and with the help of the prince of demons.
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity.
36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. [Zech. 10:2.]
37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
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