Matthew 9 - February 2^nd

Chapter 9 of Matthew is a miraculous chapter. Like bullets from a machine gun, Matthew presents us with one miracle after another. However, as grand and amazing as these miracles are (and they most certainly are), let us not get stuck at them and, by doing so, lose the point of them; for the miracles are not there to point to themselves but instead to point to Christ. These verses reveal to us the authority as well as the worth of Christ, the power as well as the pity. Let us consider several parts of the text.

Jesus Heal a Paralytic

What we find here is not merely Jesus exercising a demonstration of power but making a theological statement. To any who doubt the deity of Christ, who doubt that Jesus Christ is indeed God, they need only comprehend this passage. Many will see this passage as only containing one act of deity, when in fact, there are two. There is a lesser act and a greater act, just as the paralyzed man had a lesser malady and a greater malady.  As Jesus considers the man, he addresses his greater problem rather than his lesser one. And what is that greater problem? His sin. And Jesus makes a statement that no man has ever made, “your sins are forgiven.” Why is this significant? Because only God can forgive sins! Sins are offenses against God, and only the offended party can grant forgiveness. For Jesus to say that He forgave this man’s sin was to, in fact, say that he is God.

The scribes understood this immediately, which is why they said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” They understood the theological implications of Jesus’ statement. So, to prove that what he declared was indeed legitimate (for the forgiveness of sins is an invisible act), he performs a visible miracle, and what is that? He addresses the man’s lesser malady, the paralyzation of his body. By healing the man, he not only displays his pity but also gives validity to his previous statement through the demonstration of his power.

A Question About Fasting

This is one of my favorite dialogues that Christ has due to the beauty of the truth stated and the simple analogy Christ utilizes to express it. When questioned by John the Baptist’s disciples as to why Jesus’ own disciples did not fast, he replies by stating that there is no need for them to fast as long as he is present with them. Fasting is not proper for times of celebration; you would not find a wedding in which the reception is held to a fast rather than a feast. And this idea of a wedding is the exact image that Jesus implements. Jesus is the bridegroom! He is the Lord of Glory! He is the Savior of His people! He is God; come down in the flesh! The disciples had him in their presence; this is not time to fast, but to rejoice! I love this because it so beautifully captures the worth of Christ. He is the bridegroom whose very presence ought to change fasting to feasting. 

The bridegroom has departed, and so we are in the days where the people of God must fast once more. But a day will come when the bridegroom will return, and we will feast in the house of Zion forevermore