Matthew 9: Enlarging the Harvest (1)
Pray Psalm 103.1-6.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
Sing Psalm 103.1-6.
Old 100th: All People That on Earth Do Dwell
O my soul, bless the LORD’s great Name! His many benefits proclaim:
He pardons sins and heals disease, and from the pit grants us release.
With mercy rich and steadfast love He satisfies us from above,
Revives our youth, works righteousness, and justice serves for the oppressed.
Read Matthew 9.1-8; meditate on verse 6.
How much of our lives does the Word of salvation reach?
Prepare.
1. With what did Jesus connect the healing of this man?
2. What do we learn from this about the power Jesus wields?
Meditate.
Jesus continues His work of overturning the effects of sin by healing a man brought to Him, paralyzed on a bed. He responded to the faith of the man’s friends in this matter (v. 2), which should encourage us about the power of asking, seeking, and knocking in intercessory prayer for others.
At first, Jesus did not heal this man bodily. This was deliberate. He encouraged the man to “be of good cheer” because He had forgiven his sins. Forgiveness of sins—a healed soul—and thus right of entry before God are of infinitely more value than relieving bodily ills. Do we rejoice in this as much as we should?
Naturally, the scribes began to grumble (v. 3), and they would have been right in their objection if Jesus had been only a man. But He is not, of course. He is the Son of Man (v. 6) and has been given power from God to forgive sins, for He Himself is God. Notice that Jesus saw into the inner thoughts of these men (v. 4). He knows what’s in every one of us. To demonstrate His power to forgive sins, Jesus healed the paralytic and instructed him to get up from his bed and go home. Which he did. Body and soul, healed.
And we see the full effects of Jesus’ works: People glorified God Who “had given such power to men” (v. 8).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
When the beautiful temple that David had planned, Solomon completed, and the ark of the covenant was put in its place of honor, Solomon prayed a prayer that encompasses at least two of the topics found within this healing of the paralytic (Matt. 9.1-8)—intercessory prayer and the Omniscience of God.
“LORD God…there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You…
regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and
listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today…
whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people…
when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and
spreads out his hands toward this temple;
then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and
give to everyone according to all his ways,
whose heart You know
(for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),
that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land
which You gave to our fathers” (1 Kgs. 8.23, 28, 38-40).
As Jesus did respond to the faith of the paralytic’s friends,
thus we are greatly encouraged to bring the needs of others before the throne of grace.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4.16).
And Jesus can, and does, see directly into the “inner thoughts” of all people—past, present, and future.
He knows what is in man (Jn. 2.25). He knows our thoughts of yesterday, of today, and tomorrow.
And as Solomon prayed, let that knowledge cause us to fear God all our days.
How does that fear affect our living, and doing, and being? How do we fear properly?
By keeping God’s Law. And understanding fully what God deems to be sin.
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of the Law of God (Westminster Shorter Catechism).
We have been given the opportunity to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit for just such a purpose as this—
to avoid breaking the Law of God.
Unencumbered by paralyzing sin, we are able to pray, to work, to arise and walk, and “go to our house” to establish a daily relationship with this One Who knows us, Who loves us, and Who enables us, soul and body, to live and work with Him in our Personal Mission Field. Working by faith, here and now, and rejoicing in the time to come (Prov. 31.25), when “face to face” we will know Him, just as we are known (1 Cor. 13.12).
Our sins He casts from us away;
He shows compassion every day.
He knows our frame, that we are dust,
so on His goodness let us trust.
(Psalm 103.10-14, The Ailbe Psalter)
Reflect.
1. What are the different facets of your calling from the Lord? What work has God given you to do?
2. Why do you need both prayer and God’s Word to enable you to fulfill that calling?
3. Who prays for you as you work at your calling? For whom do you pray as they work theirs?
It is easier said than done. Whether the sins of the paralytic were forgiven, only He Who forgave them knew for sure. “Arise and walk”: both he who arose and those who saw him arise were able to vouch for this. Hence there is a bodily sign in order to demonstrate a spiritual sign, though its impact is to curb the imperfections of body and soul. Jerome (347-420), Commentary on Matthew 1.9.5
Pray Psalm 103.15-22.
Commit this day to the Lord and His Kingdom. Ask Him to show you mercy, and to enable you to show mercy; to walk according to His Law; and to keep Him and His heavenly realm always before your mind.
Sing Psalm 103.15-22.
Old 100th: All People That on Earth Do Dwell
Now as for us like grass we fail, though for a time our flesh prevail.
God’s Spirit blows across our face and withers sinners in their place.
But evermore to those who fear the LORD brings lovingkindness near;
His righteousness to them extends and to their children without end.
He rules upon His throne in heav’n; His sovereign rule o’er all is giv’n.
You angels, bless the LORD, rejoice, who live in strength to heed His voice.
All you who serve Him, bless the LORD, all you who heed His righteous Word!
Let all throughout the cosmos whole unite to praise Him, with my soul!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column addresses the question, “How to Church?” Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
