Matthew — Chapter 9

Loading ESV text...

1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7And he arose, and departed to his house.

8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

9And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

16No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

18While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

20And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

22But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

23And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

24He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

25But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

26And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

31But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

32As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

1And he entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city.

2And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven.

3And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5For which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, and take up thy bed, and go up unto thy house.

7And he arose, and departed to his house.

8But when the multitudes saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority unto men.

9And as Jesus passed by from thence, he saw a man, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

10And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Teacher with the publicans and sinners?

12But when he heard it, he said, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick.

13But go ye and learn what [this] meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

14Then come to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

15And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast.

16And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made.

17Neither do [men] put new wine into old wine-skins: else the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins perish: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins, and both are preserved.

18While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

19And Jesus arose, and followed him, and [so did] his disciples.

20And behold, a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment:

21for she said within herself, If I do but touch his garment, I shall be made whole.

22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, Daughter, be of good cheer; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

23And when Jesus came into the ruler`s house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult,

24he said, Give place: for the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

25But when the crowd was put forth, he entered in, and took her by the hand; and the damsel arose.

26And the fame hereof went forth into all that land.

27And as Jesus passed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, Have mercy on us, thou son of David.

28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it done unto you.

30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

31But they went forth, and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

32And as they went forth, behold, there was brought to him a dumb man possessed with a demon.

33And when the demon was cast out, the dumb man spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34But the Pharisees said, By the prince of the demons casteth he out demons.

35And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.

37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.

1After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.

2Just then some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”

3Then some of the experts in the law said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”

4When Jesus perceived their thoughts he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts?

5Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?

6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

7So he stood up and went home.

8When the crowd saw this, they were afraid and honored God who had given such authority to men.

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. So he got up and followed him.

10As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.

11When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.

13Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

14Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

15Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.

16No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.

17And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”

18As he was saying these things, a leader came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.”

19Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.

20But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for 12 years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.

21For she kept saying to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

22But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed from that hour.

23When Jesus entered the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd,

24he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep!” And they began making fun of him.

25But when the crowd had been forced outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

26And the news of this spread throughout that region.

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men began to follow him, shouting, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28When he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

29Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

30And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this!”

31But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.

32As they were going away, a man who was demon-possessed and unable to speak was brought to him.

33After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons!”

35Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.

36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

38Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”

1He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city.

2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

3Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

4Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’

6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”

7He arose and departed to his house.

8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

10As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

11When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

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

14Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

15Jesus 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.

16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.

17Neither do people put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.”

18While he told 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.”

19Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.

20Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment;

21for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

22But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder,

24he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.

25But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26The report of this went out into all that land.

27As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”

28When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

30Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.”

31But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

32As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him.

33When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

35Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.

37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Jesus heals a paralytic (forgiving sins first), calls Matthew the tax collector, raises a dead girl, gives sight to the blind, and declares the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

Authorship & Background

Author: Matthew (see Chapter 1 notes for full authorship details).
Historical Context: Chapter 9 continues the demonstration of Jesus' authority through miracles and includes Matthew's own calling (v.9). It records five miracles and three controversies, culminating in Jesus' compassion for the crowds and His call for laborers. This chapter is deeply personal for Matthew — he records his own conversion from tax collector to disciple.
The Paralytic (vv.1-8): Jesus' first words to the paralyzed man were not "be healed" but "thy sins be forgiven thee." He addressed the deeper need first. The healing was proof of His authority to forgive — something only God can do.
Matthew's Calling (v.9): Tax collectors (publicans) were despised — they worked for Rome, often extorted their own people, and were considered traitors and sinners. Jesus called Matthew from his tax booth with two words: "Follow me." Matthew's immediate response and the dinner party that followed show the transforming power of Christ's call.
New Wine in New Wineskins (vv.16-17): Jesus is not patching up the old system — He is bringing something entirely new. The kingdom cannot be contained in the old structures of Pharisaic Judaism.

Map & Geography

  • Capernaum ("His own city," v.1): Jesus returned across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, His ministry headquarters.
  • The tax booth (v.9): Matthew/Levi's tax collection post was likely on the Via Maris trade route that passed through Capernaum, a commercial crossroads between Damascus and the Mediterranean.
  • The ruler's house (v.23): A local synagogue ruler (Jairus) in Capernaum.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the connection between forgiveness and healing, Matthew's calling, the new wine/wineskins teaching, the woman's faith, and Jesus' compassion for the shepherdless crowds.
  • Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The Great Physician" on v.12 (MTP Vol. 7, No. 368) "They that be whole need not a physician. And who are the whole? No one. But those who think they are whole — the self-righteous, the morally satisfied — they will not come to the Physician. It is only those who know they are sick who seek the cure." Sermon: "The Harvest and the Labourers" on vv.37-38 (MTP Vol. 10, No. 569) "The harvest is plenteous — not scarce, not difficult, not impossible. Plenteous. The problem is not the harvest; it is the laborers. There are not enough workers. And the solution? Pray. Before you go, pray. Before you plan, pray. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send."

Reflection

  • 1. Jesus forgave the paralytic's sins before healing his body (v.2). He addressed the deeper need first. What is the deeper need in your life that you might be ignoring while focusing on surface problems?
  • 2. Matthew left his tax booth immediately when Jesus called (v.9). He left a lucrative career with no guarantee of what came next. What would you have to leave to follow Jesus more fully? What is your "tax booth"?
  • 3. "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (v.13). Jesus came for people who know they're broken. Do you approach God as someone who needs Him, or as someone who has it mostly together? Which posture does Jesus respond to?
  • 4. Jesus saw the crowds and was "moved with compassion" (v.36). When you see people — at work, in your neighborhood, in the news — what do you feel? Indifference? Judgment? Compassion? What would it take for your heart to break for what breaks God's heart?
  • 5. The scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy for forgiving sins (v.3). They were right that only God can forgive sins — they just didn't realize who they were talking to. What does Jesus' authority to forgive sins tell you about His identity?
  • 6. Jesus ate with "publicans and sinners" (v.10). The Pharisees were scandalized. Who are the people in your community that religious people avoid? What would it look like for you to eat with them — to be present in their world?
  • 7. The woman with the issue of blood had been suffering 12 years and had spent everything on doctors (Mark 5:26). She was desperate. Sometimes desperation is what drives us to Jesus. What desperation in your life has driven you closer to Christ?
  • 8. "The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few" (v.37). Jesus' solution is not a program — it's prayer. Are you praying for God to send workers into the harvest? Are you willing to be one of those workers?
  • 9. Jesus saw the crowds as "sheep having no shepherd" (v.36). People around you are lost, confused, and without direction. As a man, where are you being called to shepherd — in your family, your workplace, your community?