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Matthew 9 Devotional: Witness the authority of Jesus to forgive sins and heal the broken. Explore the calling of Matthew the tax collector and the compassion of the Savior for the "harassed and helpless" crowds.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Matthew Chapter 9. Today, we see Jesus in constant motion—crossing lakes, entering towns, and touching lives that the world had discarded. As we read, let us pay close attention to the authority in His voice and the tenderness in His heart. He is not just a miracle worker; He is the Physician of our souls.
Matthew Chapter 9 Introduction:
Matthew Chapter 9 Introduction:
The Authority to Forgive and the Call to Mercy
Matthew 9 presents a rapid succession of miracles that prove Jesus’ identity. It begins with the healing of a paralytic, where Jesus intentionally links physical healing with the spiritual authority to forgive sins—a claim that only God can make. We then see the scandalous calling of Matthew (the author of this Gospel), a tax collector who leaves his booth to follow Christ. Jesus defends His fellowship with "sinners," declaring that He came for the sick, not the healthy. From raising a young girl from the dead to healing a woman who had suffered for twelve years, Jesus demonstrates that no boundary of death or disease is too great for Him.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the heart of Salvation. As your Statement of Faith affirms, we believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The woman who touched His garment and the blind men who cried out for mercy all had one thing in common: they recognized their desperate need and looked to Jesus as their only hope. We also see the "Mission of the Church." Jesus concludes the chapter by looking at the crowds with compassion because they were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." He reminds us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, calling us to be those who go out into the fields with His message of redemption.
Bible Verse
Bible Verse
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man
9 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
The Calling of Matthew
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.
Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute
Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute
27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
The Workers Are Few
The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Prayer
Prayer
Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." As we enter into prayer, let us come honestly before Him, bringing our weaknesses and our needs to the Great Physician.
Prayer Theme: "The Lord of the Harvest"
Prayer Theme: "The Lord of the Harvest"
Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the authority and compassion of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that He is fully God and fully man, possessing the power to forgive our sins and heal our brokenness. Thank You for the gift of Your grace, which reaches out to us even when we are far off, just as You reached out to Matthew at his tax booth.
Lord, I ask that You would give me the faith of the woman who reached for the hem of Your garment. Help me to trust in Your power to restore what has been broken in my life. Give me a heart that beats with Your compassion for the "harassed and helpless" in my own community. Forgive me for the times I have been like the Pharisees—judging others from a distance rather than offering the mercy You have so freely given to me. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit to be a worker in Your harvest field, sharing the Good News of salvation with those who are searching for a Shepherd.
We pray for our local church, that we would be a place of healing for the spiritually and physically sick. We lift up those in our world who are suffering from chronic illness or the sting of death; may they experience the comfort of the One who said, "Take heart, daughter," and "The girl is not dead but asleep." We pray for the global mission of the Church, that more workers would be sent into the harvest so that the message of Your Kingdom would reach every corner of the earth. Amen.
Daily Application Question
Daily Application Question
Jesus saw the crowds and was moved with compassion. When you look at the people in your life—your neighbors, coworkers, or family—do you see them through the eyes of judgment or through the "compassion of the Shepherd"? How can you show His mercy to one person today?
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 9
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 9
Why were the religious leaders upset when Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins? Because the Old Testament teaches that only God has the authority to forgive sins. By forgiving the man, Jesus was explicitly claiming to be God, which the leaders considered blasphemy.
Who were the "tax collectors and sinners" mentioned in this chapter? Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman Empire and were often seen as traitors and thieves. "Sinners" was a general term for those who did not follow the strict religious laws. Jesus’ association with them showed that grace is available to everyone.
What did Jesus mean by "new wine into old wineskins"? He was explaining that the new era of grace and the Gospel could not be contained within the old, rigid rituals of the Pharisees. The New Covenant required a new heart and a new way of relating to God.
Thank you for joining us for Matthew 9. May you walk today in the joy of being forgiven and the purpose of being called. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow as Jesus commissions the twelve disciples in Matthew Chapter 10.
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