Matthew 9:1-8… So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. ² Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”³ And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”⁴ But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵ For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? ⁶ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”⁷ And he arose and departed to his house. ⁸ Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Be of Good Cheer- even in times that seem impossible & unbearable

Nothing is more debilitating than sin

Religious sinners are always too quick to judge

Everything Jesus did or does is designed to make us know Him better

The proper response to Christ & His work is to Marvel & Worship

Jesus Calls The Unlikely To Do The Remarkable

Matthew 9:9-13… As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sittingat the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”So he arose and followed Him. ¹⁰ Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. ¹¹ And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”¹² When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (Continued)

¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus is looking for the idler

Jesus is looking in the most unlikely places for men to serve Him

His instructions are simple & unmitigating

Matthew responded in instant obedience

Because Matthew obeyed- other’s like him sought Jesus

When sinners respond to Jesus Religious sinners are always unmasked

Jesus came to reach those who are in need- the self-righteous are too much like Lucifer for Him to break through their pride

Jesus Teaches On The Principle of Fasting

Matthew 9:14-17… Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Questions are always welcome when they are sincere

Answer- far more complex than they had hoped for…Instead of a straight-forward answer they received a parable

Can the wedding party not partake of the feast? Wouldn’t that offend the host?

Can a new cloth be put into an old garment? Wouldn’t that further tear the old cloth?

Can one put unfermented wine in an old wineskin? Wouldn’t it break with the swelling of the process?

Religious change is perhaps the hardest change to endure

Jesus Demonstrates Top To Bottom Ministry

Matthew 9:18-26… While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”¹⁹So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.²⁰And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.²³ When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, ²⁴ He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.”And they ridiculed Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶And the report of this went out into all that land.

This Godly leader acknowledge his limits and God’s limitless love

This Godly leader recognizes God’s power

This Godly leader submits to Jesus… & Jesus gets into his circumstance

This Godly leader sees more than his own need & doesn’t let interruptions deter his purpose or spoil his attitude

In the middle of the journey to Jairus’ house a holy interruption occurs

12 years of misery… 12 years of blessing

Out of money… Living in wealth and comfort

Growing old with no one… Growing up surrounded with love

Healed by a simple touch of faith… Dies when Jesus is delayed

Hope springs out of desperation… Desperation devours Hope

An eruption of Praise and Joy… An eruption of tears & sorrow

This Godly leader obeys even in the face of mockery & cynicism

This Godly leader receives the blessing

This Godly Leader reports God’s faithfulness everywhere

Faith Is More Powerful Than Blindness

Matthew 9:27-31… When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” ²⁸ And when He had come into the house, 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 let it be to you.”

³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”³¹ But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

You “don’t” have to see clearly to follow Jesus

You “do” have to seek fervently

You “do” have to believe that He is able

You “do” have to receive according to your personal faith

Verse 30-31… gives us one of the great Gospel mysteries…

Why did Jesus order them to not tell anyone?

Jesus Demonstrates Power Over Evil Spirits

Matthew 9:32-33…As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. ³³ And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

As they went- how many miracles have we missed because we were looking for the phenomenal instead of looking for daily opportunities?

All powers in heaven & earth are subject to Jesus Word

The bondage was broken

The crowd was amazed

1 Corinthians 2:9… Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

Matthew 9:34-38…But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”³⁵Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

In every crowd there will be people too full of themselves to receive even the smallest portion of Jesus

Jesus was not deterred by their unbelief- He continued visiting “Their” places of worship

Jesus; moved by compassion, preached & healed

Jesus motive was- their lack of leadership

Jesus solution to both the shepherd-less sheep & the task-less shepherds…Pray for God to raise up workers

Who understand whose harvest it is- God’s

Who understand the purpose of their labor- bring in harvest

Who understand the focus of the harvest- the unredeemed

Who understand that it is a proactive stipulation- go into

We have two choices-

Join the workforce bringing in the harvest

Or become the target of Jesus’ criticism- the church is full but the field is empty!