Matthew 9
9
Chapter 9
Jesus helps a man who cannot walk
1Then Jesus got back into the boat. He sailed across to the other side of the lake again. He went to Capernaum, the town where he was living.
2Some men came to see Jesus there. They carried with them a man who could not walk or move his legs. He was lying on a mat. Jesus knew that they believed in him. He said to the man who could not walk, ‘Do not be afraid, my friend. I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
3Then some teachers of God's Law said to themselves: ‘This man is speaking as if he is God. That is not right.’
4Jesus knew what the teachers were thinking. So he said to them, ‘You should not think these bad things in your minds. 5I said to this man, “I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.” Instead, I could have said to him, “Stand up and walk.” Which one is easier for me to say? 6But I want you to know this. I, the Son of Man, have authority on earth. #9:6 Jesus often called himself the Son of Man. He did this so that people would remember about some messages in the Bible. We can read about the Son of Man in the book called Daniel. (See Daniel 7:13-14.) I can forgive people for the wrong things that they have done.’ Then he said to the man who could not walk, ‘Stand up. Pick up your mat and go home.’ 7So then the man stood up and he went home. 8The crowds of people saw what had happened. They were very surprised and afraid. They saw that God had given so much authority to men. So they praised God and they said, ‘God is great!’
Jesus asks Matthew to come with him
9Jesus went away from that place. While he walked, he saw a man called Matthew. Matthew's job was to take taxes from people. He was sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, ‘Come with me and be my disciple.’ So Matthew stood up and he went with Jesus.
10Later, Jesus went to eat a meal in Matthew's house. Many bad people and men who took taxes also came to the house. #9:10 These people were Jews who did not obey everything in God's Law. The Pharisees did not like them. They thought that they were bad people. The Pharisees thought that they themselves obeyed everything in God's Laws. They thought that they themselves were better than other people. They came to eat there with Jesus and his disciples.
11Some Pharisees saw what was happening. They said to Jesus' disciples, ‘Your teacher is eating a meal with these bad people. That is not right. They are people who do not obey God, and some of them take taxes from people.’
12Jesus heard what the Pharisees were saying. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. It is people who are ill that need a doctor. 13Go and study what it says in the Bible. God says there, “I want people to be kind to each other. I do not want them only to offer sacrifices to me.” Some people think that they always obey God. I did not come to help people like that. Some people know that they have done wrong things. I am asking those people to come to me for help.’
14Then the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus. They said to him, ‘We often decide to fast for a time. The disciples of the Pharisees also do that. Why do your disciples never do that?’ #9:14 Some people stop eating for some hours or days so that they can have more time with God. This causes them to feel nearer to God when they pray.
15Jesus answered them: ‘When a man marries, his friends cannot be sad. They cannot refuse to eat food while he is with them. But there will be a time when people will take the man away from his friends. At that time his friends will choose to fast.’ #9:15 In this picture story, Jesus is like the bridegroom. Those who follow him are like his friends at the marriage. Jesus will not always be with them. That will be the time when they will stop eating for some time to pray.
16Then Jesus said, ‘Nobody uses a piece of new cloth to mend an old coat. If he does, the new cloth will cause the old cloth to tear again. It will make a bigger hole than before.
17Nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. #9:17 Some people kept wine in bottles made from an animal skin. Wine grows as it gets older, but the wineskins become hard. New wine would cause them to break. If he does that, the new wine will tear the old wineskins. He will lose the wine and the wineskins will spoil. Instead, you must put new wine into new wineskins. Then there will be nothing to spoil the wine or the wineskins.’ #9:17 Jesus is teaching the people that the old bottles are like the old Law. The new wine and the new cloth are like the new things that Jesus was teaching them. They could not mix the old things and the new things.
Jesus causes a dead girl to become alive again
18While Jesus was saying these things to the people, a leader at the Jewish meeting place came to him. The man went down on his knees in front of Jesus and said to him, ‘My daughter has just died. Come to my house. Put your hand on her and then she will live again.’ 19So Jesus went with the man. His disciples also went with them.
20There was a sick woman in the crowd. She had been losing blood for 12 years. She came near to Jesus, behind him. She touched the edge of his coat. 21The woman thought, ‘Even if I only touch his coat, I will become well again.’
22Jesus turned round and he saw the woman. He said to her, ‘Young woman, do not be afraid. You are now well again because you believed in me.’ And immediately the woman became well again.
23Then Jesus arrived at the Jewish leader's house. Some people there were making sad music and the crowd was making a loud noise. #9:23 Jewish people made music in the house after somebody had died. They also made music while people buried that person.
24When Jesus saw this, he said to everybody in the house, ‘Go outside. This girl is not dead. She is only sleeping.’ The people laughed at Jesus when he said that. 25The family sent all the people out of the house. Jesus went inside and he held the girl's hand. Immediately she stood up. 26People in all that part of the country heard about what had happened.
Jesus causes two blind men to see again
27Jesus left the house. While he walked along, two blind men began to follow him. They were shouting out to him, ‘Son of David! Please be kind to us and help us!’ #9:27 King David was an ancestor of Jesus.
28Jesus went into a house and the blind men came to him there. Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe that I can make your eyes become well?’ The men replied, ‘Yes, Master, we believe that you can do this.’
29So Jesus touched the men's eyes. He said to them, ‘Because you believed in me, you will now see again.’ 30Then immediately the men could see again. Jesus said strongly to them, ‘You must not tell anyone about this.’ 31So the men went away. But they told everybody in that part of the country all about what Jesus had done for them.
Jesus causes a man to speak again
32While those two men were leaving, some people brought another man to Jesus. This man could not speak because of a bad spirit in him. 33Jesus made the bad spirit go out of the man and leave him. Then the man began to speak again. Everybody there was very surprised. They said, ‘Nobody has seen anything like this happen in Israel before.’
34But the Pharisees said, ‘This man can send bad spirits out of people because Satan gives him authority. Satan is the one who rules the bad spirits.’
Jesus wants God to send out more disciples
35Jesus went to visit all the towns and villages near there. He taught the people in the Jewish meeting places. He told them the good news about God's kingdom. He also caused sick people to become well again from all their different pains and illnesses.
36When Jesus saw the crowds of people, he felt sorry for them. They had trouble in their minds. They had nobody to help them. Jesus thought, ‘These people are like sheep that have nobody to take care of them.’ 37Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Many people are ready to believe God's message. They are like crops in the fields at harvest time. But there are very few workers to bring in the crops. 38So pray to God to send out workers. The field and the crops belong to him.’ #9:38 In this story, the master of the fields is like God. The fields are like the world. The plants that are growing in the fields are like the people in the world. The workers are like the people who know the Good News about the kingdom of God. They must tell other people about God and the Good News.
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Matthew 9: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 9
9
Jesus heals a crippled man
(Mark 2.1-12; Luke 5.17-26)
1Jesus got into a boat and crossed back over to the town where he lived.#9.1 where he lived: Capernaum. See 4.13. 2Some people soon brought to him a crippled man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, don't worry! Your sins are forgiven.”
3Some teachers of the Law of Moses said to themselves, “Jesus must think he is God!”
4But Jesus knew what was in their minds, and he said, “Why are you thinking such evil things? 5Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? 6But I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.” 7The man got up and went home. 8When the crowds saw this, they were afraid#9.8 afraid: Some manuscripts have “amazed”. and praised God for giving such authority to people.
Jesus chooses Matthew
(Mark 2.13-17; Luke 5.27-32)
9As Jesus was leaving, he saw a tax collector#9.9 tax collector: See the note at 5.46. named Matthew sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, “Come with me.” Matthew got up and went with him.
10Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Matthew's house.#9.10 Matthew's house: Or “Jesus' house”. Many tax collectors and other sinners were also there.#Lk 15.1,2. 11Some Pharisees asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other sinners?”
12Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. 13Go and learn what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others.’ I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”#Mt 12.7; Ho 6.6.
People ask about going without eating
(Mark 2.18-22; Luke 5.33-39)
14One day some followers of John the Baptist came and asked Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees often go without eating,#9.14 without eating: See the note at 4.2. while your disciples never do?”
15Jesus answered:
The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating.
16No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
17No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins.#9.17 swell and burst the old skins: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored. If the skins were old and stiff, they would burst. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe.
A dying girl and a sick woman
(Mark 5.21-43; Luke 8.40-56)
18While Jesus was still speaking, an official came and knelt in front of him. The man said, “My daughter has just died! Please come and place your hand on her. Then she will live again.”
19Jesus and his disciples got up and went with the man.
20A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and barely touched his clothes. 21She had said to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well.”
22Jesus turned. He saw the woman and said, “Don't worry! You are now well because of your faith.” At that moment she was healed.
23When Jesus went into the home of the official and saw the musicians and the crowd of mourners,#9.23 the crowd of mourners: The Jewish people often hired mourners for funerals. 24he said, “Get out of here! The little girl isn't dead. She is just asleep.” Everyone started laughing at Jesus. 25But after the crowd had been sent out of the house, Jesus went to the girl's bedside. He took her by the hand and helped her up.
26News about this spread all over that part of the country.
Jesus heals two blind men
27As Jesus was walking along, two blind men began following him and shouting, “Son of David,#9.27 Son of David: The Jewish people expected the Messiah to be from the family of King David, and for this reason the Messiah was often called the “Son of David”. have pity on us!”
28After Jesus had gone indoors, the two blind men came up to him. He asked them, “Do you believe I can make you well?”
“Yes, Lord,” they answered.
29Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, you will be healed.” 30They were able to see, and Jesus strictly warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31But they left and talked about him to everyone in that part of the country.
Jesus heals a man who could not talk
32As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, some people brought to him a man who could not talk because a demon was in him. 33After Jesus had forced the demon out, the man started talking. The crowds were so amazed that they began saying, “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!”
34But the Pharisees said, “The leader of the demons gives him the power to force out demons.”#Mt 10.25; 12.24; Mk 3.22; Lk 11.15.
Jesus has pity on people
35Jesus went to every town and village. He taught in their meeting places and preached the good news about God's kingdom. Jesus also healed every kind of disease and sickness.#Mt 4.23; Mk 1.39; Lk 4.44. 36When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.#Nu 27.17; 1 K 22.17; 2 Ch 18.16; Ez 34.5; Mk 6.34. 37He said to his disciples, “A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers.#Lk 10.2. 38Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in.”
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012