Feb. 4, 2010 – Matthew 9

There is a lot here so I will try to be brief about certain parts.   Maybe just give you a few things to think about.  First, the paralytic.  The thing that I realized a couple of years ago and has stuck with me about this story is the fact that other people had to bring him to Jesus.  Although Jesus heals him, it was by his friends bringing him that saved him.  It is a lesson about the ability we have to bring others to God.  They can be saved through our actions. 

Verse 8 talks about Jesus authority again and it being given to men.  This is another verse that has been used to explain Jesus authority over things and the passing on of that authority to the Church.

The calling of Matthew.  Personal favorite.  But I really love the, those who are well don’t need a physician line.  That really hits you when you may be feeling proud or mightier than though.  If you are not humble about where you are at and the fact that we are all sinners, Jesus cannot help you.  We have to admit we are sick before we seek out the physician. 

I never really understood the wineskin thing.  I understood the wineskin part, but not its correlation to Jesus.  The footnote explains it that Jesus was not there to fill in gaps of the Old Law.  He is there to fulfill it.  They needed to look at things a new way to follow Him.  The Old Law can not be used with Jesus’ new wine.  Now that I just typed that, I think that could be pointing to the Eucharist and the Blood of Christ not fitting in the Old Law. 

The women with the hemorrhages is a new favorite.  She was healed by touching Jesus’ robe.  You have to imagine the crowds all around Him were touching Him constantly, yet they were not healed.  Father John, priest at our church, related this to our prayer life.  We can pray all we want, but if it is not prayer based on a deep faith, we are just a member of the crowd.  But if we have a deep faith and reach out to Jesus in prayer, we can be healed.

The two blind men are not “healed by Jesus”.  He tells them they will be done to them according to their faith.  Much like the woman with the hemorrhages, we need to go to God with faith.