Gospel of Matthew Matthew 9:27-38 The King s Authority Christ s Power and Compassion in Action Matthew 9 presents Jesus as the great miracle worker and the One who has absolute power over disease, demons, and even death. His mighty deeds reveal that He is the Son of God, the Messiah sent from God. His tender compassion reveals the heart of God for the needy. The focus of this chapter is Jesus public ministry. We have a summary of His ministry in Matthew 9:35, describing where He went and what He did. Near the end of this chapter we come to a transition point in Jesus ministry. Up to this point His disciples have listened and observed. But now Christ is about to share some of the ministry responsibilities with His disciples. Here are the important lessons from Matthew 9: Christ is concerned about individuals Christ can meet every need Christ responds to faith Christ is most concerned about saving sinners Christ uses others to work with Him 1. Jesus healed two blind men (vs. 27-31) A. They were two believing men Their faith was real and persistent. They kept on following Jesus and asking Him to heal them. Their faith was based on knowledge (Rom. 10:17). They knew Jesus was the Messiah (Son of David). They lacked physical sight, but they had spiritual insight. It is tragic that so many people with good sight have no foresight or insight. They pleaded for mercy and confessed that Jesus was able to heal them. Christ rewarded their faith (Heb. 11:6). By faith we take hold of two handles of truth: Jesus is able and He is willing. B. They were two blessed men Christ touched their eyes, spoke a word of assurance, and healed them instantly. Then He commanded them not to tell anyone, but they disobeyed. The danger was that people would focus more on the miracle instead of the Messiah. Spurgeon observes: We are not forbidden, but exhorted to make known the wonders of his grace. Let us not fail in this natural, this necessary, this useful duty. More and more let us spread abroad his fame (C. H. Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom, 64). 2. Jesus healed a demon-possessed man (vs. 32-34) A. Christ s amazing cure Jesus dealt not only with the symptom, but with the source of this man s trouble. This miracle of healing is described as a simple matter of fact, the devil (demon) was cast out.
B. The Pharisees absurd criticism They claimed that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan. If this claim had been made by Gentile pagans it would have been bad enough, but these words came from the Pharisees, a strict religious group who stood for the fundamentals of faith and morality. Jesus simply ignored them, but later he gave them a stern warning (Mt. 12:24-32). The Pharisees not only refused to accept Jesus as King and enter His kingdom, they also prevented others from entering (Mt. 23:13). 3. Jesus blessed many people in word and deed (vs. 35) A. Jesus went many places and helped many people No place was too big or too small. B. Jesus taught, preached, and healed the sick He told them the good news of the kingdom. This probably included the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. 4. Jesus was concerned about all needy people (vs. 36-38) A. The Lord was moved with compassion Dr. Charles Stanley s ministry, In Touch, has this stated purpose: Having a Passion for God and Compassion for People. That s right in line with the life and ministry of Christ. He saw not only physical needs, but spiritual needs that were even worse. With deep compassion He saw blind eyes, deaf ears, and paralyzed limbs, but He also saw people as lost and helpless sheep. The Old Testament reveals God as compassionate and caring (Ps. 86:15). Christ was moved with compassion when He saw hurting people (Mt. 14:14; 15:32). Thomas Watson said, We may force our Lord to punish us, but we will never have to force Him to love us. He is a kind, compassionate Savior. B. The Lord shared a concern Jesus changed the image from sheep to crops. Referring to the spiritual harvest of souls, He told His disciples that the harvest truly was plenteous, but the laborers were few. There is so much work to be done, and yet so few to do it. And even now about 2,000 years later, the same thing is true. You would think with all the modern methods of communication the mission would be accomplished, but not so. Why? The Lord s work requires workers. The Lord s method is manpower. Ministry is a personal thing that requires people going into the fields. Coming to church is not working in the fields. It prepares us for the work. When we truly worship we are better equipped and motivated to serve Christ in the fields. C. The Lord issued a command First of all, we should acknowledge Him as Lord of the harvest. He has possession and control over it. Only He can give spiritual life. Only He can grow a crop and produce a harvest. Secondly, we should ask Him to send forth workers into the harvest. As Lord of the harvest, He is the one who sends forth workers and He often sends the same ones who are praying. Jesus told the disciples to pray and in the next chapter He gave them an assignment, empowered them, and sent them on their way. Working in the Lord s Fields:
We should work confidently Psalms 126:5-6 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. We should work responsibly Proverbs 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. We should work urgently John 4:35-36 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. We should work cooperatively 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.
Gospel of Matthew Matthew 9:27-38 The King s Authority Christ s Power and Compassion in Action Matthew 9 presents Jesus as the great miracle worker and the One who has absolute power over disease, demons, and even death. His mighty deeds reveal that He is the Son of God, the Messiah sent from God. His tender compassion reveals the heart of God for the needy. The focus of this chapter is Jesus public ministry. We have a summary of His ministry in Matthew 9:35, describing where He went and what He did. Near the end of this chapter we come to a transition point in Jesus ministry. Up to this point His disciples have listened and observed. But now Christ is about to share some of the ministry responsibilities with His disciples. Here are the important lessons from Matthew 9: Christ is concerned Christ can meet Christ responds Christ is most concerned Christ uses others 1. Jesus healed (vs. 27-31) A. They were Their faith was real and persistent. They kept on following Jesus and asking Him to heal them. By faith we take hold of two handles of truth: Jesus is able and He is willing. B. They were Christ touched their eyes, spoke a word of assurance, and healed them instantly. Then He commanded them not to tell anyone, but they disobeyed. The danger was that people would focus more on the miracle instead of the Messiah. 2. Jesus healed (vs. 32-34) A. Christ s Jesus dealt not only with the symptom, but with the source of this man s trouble. B. The Pharisees They claimed that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan. If this claim had been made by Gentile pagans it would have been bad enough, but these words came from the Pharisees, a strict religious group who stood for the fundamentals of faith and morality. 3. Jesus blessed many people (vs. 35)
A. Jesus B. Jesus 4. Jesus was concerned (vs. 36-38) A. The Lord was moved with He saw not only physical needs, but spiritual needs that were even worse. With deep compassion He saw blind eyes, deaf ears, and paralyzed limbs, but He also saw people as lost and helpless sheep. The Old Testament reveals God as compassionate and caring (Ps. 86:15). Christ was moved with compassion when He saw hurting people (Mt. 14:14; 15:32). Thomas Watson said, We may force our Lord to punish us, but we will never have to force Him to love us. He is a kind, compassionate Savior. B. The Lord shared Jesus changed the image from sheep to crops. Referring to the spiritual harvest of souls, He told His disciples that the harvest truly was plenteous, but the laborers were few. C. The Lord issued First of all, we should acknowledge Him as Lord of the harvest. Secondly, we should ask Him to send forth workers into the harvest. Working in the Lord s Fields: Psalms 126:5-6 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Proverbs 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. John 4:35-36 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.